Galen NSG 3160 Health Assessment: Exam 3 - Questions with
Correct Answers
100 questions
1. Health literacy can be quickly assessed by asking:
A. 'Did you graduate from college?'
B. 'Can you read?'
C. 'Do you understand English?'
D. 'How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?'
Correct Answer: D. 'How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?'
Rationale: This validated single question identifies patients who may need extra help without causing
embarrassment. Education level does not reliably predict health literacy, and blunt questions about
reading can shame patients.
2. Which question best assesses spiritual needs?
A. 'What church do you go to?'
B. 'You do believe in God, right?'
C. 'Religion isn't relevant to your care.'
D. 'Is faith or spirituality important to you, and how can we support it here?'
Correct Answer: D. 'Is faith or spirituality important to you, and how can we support it here?'
Rationale: Open questions such as those in the FICA approach explore meaning and supports without
assuming a religion. Asking about a church assumes affiliation, and leading or dismissive statements are
inappropriate.
3. A patient says he is 'fine' but is grimacing and guarding his abdomen. The nurse responds,
'You say you're fine, but you look uncomfortable.' This is an example of:
A. Empathy
B. Facilitation
C. Explanation
D. Confrontation
Correct Answer: D. Confrontation
Rationale: Confrontation, used respectfully, points out an inconsistency between what the patient says
and what is observed so it can be explored. Empathy names feelings, facilitation encourages talking and
explanation shares information.
,4. The best way to ensure accurate communication with a patient who has limited English
proficiency is to use:
A. The patient's 10-year-old child
B. A trained professional medical interpreter
C. Gestures only
D. A coworker who knows a few words of the language
Correct Answer: B. A trained professional medical interpreter
Rationale: Trained interpreters provide accurate, confidential interpretation of medical terms and are
required for meaningful access. Children, gestures and partially fluent staff risk serious errors and may
expose the patient to embarrassment.
5. An appropriate question to assess sleep in the functional assessment is:
A. 'Do you sleep too much?'
B. 'You sleep fine, don't you?'
C. 'How many hours do you sleep, and do you feel rested when you wake up?'
D. 'Why can't you sleep?'
Correct Answer: C. 'How many hours do you sleep, and do you feel rested when you wake
up?'
Rationale: An open, specific question gathers hours, quality and restfulness without bias. Leading or
'why' questions put the patient on the defensive and may produce inaccurate answers.
6. An open-ended question that would be most appropriate early in the interview is:
A. 'Is your pain sharp?'
B. 'Do you smoke?'
C. 'What brings you in today?'
D. 'Did the pain start yesterday?'
Correct Answer: C. 'What brings you in today?'
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite the patient to describe concerns in their own words and often
reveal information the nurse did not think to ask. The other questions can be answered with one word,
which is useful later to clarify details but limits the story early on.
,7. At the end of the interview, a summary is used to:
A. Introduce a new topic
B. Begin the physical examination
C. Teach about medications
D. Review key points so the patient can confirm or correct them
Correct Answer: D. Review key points so the patient can confirm or correct them
Rationale: A summary condenses the main findings and gives the patient a chance to correct
misunderstandings before the exam. It is not used to open a new topic, begin the exam or provide
teaching.
8. Cultural humility in health assessment involves:
A. Ongoing self-reflection and learning from each patient rather than assuming knowledge of their
culture
B. Memorizing the traits of every cultural group
C. Treating all patients exactly the same
D. Avoiding questions about culture
Correct Answer: A. Ongoing self-reflection and learning from each patient rather than
assuming knowledge of their culture
Rationale: Cultural humility recognizes that each patient is the expert on their own beliefs and that the
nurse's biases must be examined continually. Memorized group traits lead to stereotyping, and ignoring
culture misses information that shapes care.
9. The temperature route that most closely reflects core temperature is:
A. Axillary
B. Oral
C. Temporal artery in a sweating patient
D. Pulmonary artery (or esophageal) temperature
Correct Answer: D. Pulmonary artery (or esophageal) temperature
Rationale: Pulmonary artery temperature measured through a catheter is the most accurate core
temperature. Axillary readings are lower and less reliable, and sweating can cause falsely low temporal
artery readings.
, 10. Which finding should be reported immediately?
A. Respiratory rate of 16
B. Temperature of 36.8 C
C. Blood pressure of 188/124 mm Hg with headache and blurred vision
D. Pulse of 78 and regular
Correct Answer: C. Blood pressure of 188/124 mm Hg with headache and blurred vision
Rationale: A blood pressure above 180/120 with symptoms such as headache and vision changes
suggests hypertensive emergency with possible organ damage. The other values are within normal limits.
11. Body mass index (BMI) is calculated as:
A. Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
B. Height divided by weight
C. Weight in pounds times height in inches
D. Waist circumference divided by hip circumference
Correct Answer: A. Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
Rationale: BMI = kg / m squared, and an adult BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight.
Waist-to-hip ratio is a separate measure of fat distribution.
12. Chronic pain differs from acute pain in that chronic pain:
A. Always causes tachycardia and sweating
B. Has a clear, recent cause
C. Lasts beyond the expected healing time, often more than 3 to 6 months, and may not cause
changes in vital signs
D. Resolves quickly
Correct Answer: C. Lasts beyond the expected healing time, often more than 3 to 6 months,
and may not cause changes in vital signs
Rationale: Long-standing pain often lacks the autonomic signs of acute pain, so a calm appearance does
not rule it out. Acute pain has a recent cause, resolves with healing and more often raises heart rate and
blood pressure.
Correct Answers
100 questions
1. Health literacy can be quickly assessed by asking:
A. 'Did you graduate from college?'
B. 'Can you read?'
C. 'Do you understand English?'
D. 'How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?'
Correct Answer: D. 'How confident are you filling out medical forms by yourself?'
Rationale: This validated single question identifies patients who may need extra help without causing
embarrassment. Education level does not reliably predict health literacy, and blunt questions about
reading can shame patients.
2. Which question best assesses spiritual needs?
A. 'What church do you go to?'
B. 'You do believe in God, right?'
C. 'Religion isn't relevant to your care.'
D. 'Is faith or spirituality important to you, and how can we support it here?'
Correct Answer: D. 'Is faith or spirituality important to you, and how can we support it here?'
Rationale: Open questions such as those in the FICA approach explore meaning and supports without
assuming a religion. Asking about a church assumes affiliation, and leading or dismissive statements are
inappropriate.
3. A patient says he is 'fine' but is grimacing and guarding his abdomen. The nurse responds,
'You say you're fine, but you look uncomfortable.' This is an example of:
A. Empathy
B. Facilitation
C. Explanation
D. Confrontation
Correct Answer: D. Confrontation
Rationale: Confrontation, used respectfully, points out an inconsistency between what the patient says
and what is observed so it can be explored. Empathy names feelings, facilitation encourages talking and
explanation shares information.
,4. The best way to ensure accurate communication with a patient who has limited English
proficiency is to use:
A. The patient's 10-year-old child
B. A trained professional medical interpreter
C. Gestures only
D. A coworker who knows a few words of the language
Correct Answer: B. A trained professional medical interpreter
Rationale: Trained interpreters provide accurate, confidential interpretation of medical terms and are
required for meaningful access. Children, gestures and partially fluent staff risk serious errors and may
expose the patient to embarrassment.
5. An appropriate question to assess sleep in the functional assessment is:
A. 'Do you sleep too much?'
B. 'You sleep fine, don't you?'
C. 'How many hours do you sleep, and do you feel rested when you wake up?'
D. 'Why can't you sleep?'
Correct Answer: C. 'How many hours do you sleep, and do you feel rested when you wake
up?'
Rationale: An open, specific question gathers hours, quality and restfulness without bias. Leading or
'why' questions put the patient on the defensive and may produce inaccurate answers.
6. An open-ended question that would be most appropriate early in the interview is:
A. 'Is your pain sharp?'
B. 'Do you smoke?'
C. 'What brings you in today?'
D. 'Did the pain start yesterday?'
Correct Answer: C. 'What brings you in today?'
Rationale: Open-ended questions invite the patient to describe concerns in their own words and often
reveal information the nurse did not think to ask. The other questions can be answered with one word,
which is useful later to clarify details but limits the story early on.
,7. At the end of the interview, a summary is used to:
A. Introduce a new topic
B. Begin the physical examination
C. Teach about medications
D. Review key points so the patient can confirm or correct them
Correct Answer: D. Review key points so the patient can confirm or correct them
Rationale: A summary condenses the main findings and gives the patient a chance to correct
misunderstandings before the exam. It is not used to open a new topic, begin the exam or provide
teaching.
8. Cultural humility in health assessment involves:
A. Ongoing self-reflection and learning from each patient rather than assuming knowledge of their
culture
B. Memorizing the traits of every cultural group
C. Treating all patients exactly the same
D. Avoiding questions about culture
Correct Answer: A. Ongoing self-reflection and learning from each patient rather than
assuming knowledge of their culture
Rationale: Cultural humility recognizes that each patient is the expert on their own beliefs and that the
nurse's biases must be examined continually. Memorized group traits lead to stereotyping, and ignoring
culture misses information that shapes care.
9. The temperature route that most closely reflects core temperature is:
A. Axillary
B. Oral
C. Temporal artery in a sweating patient
D. Pulmonary artery (or esophageal) temperature
Correct Answer: D. Pulmonary artery (or esophageal) temperature
Rationale: Pulmonary artery temperature measured through a catheter is the most accurate core
temperature. Axillary readings are lower and less reliable, and sweating can cause falsely low temporal
artery readings.
, 10. Which finding should be reported immediately?
A. Respiratory rate of 16
B. Temperature of 36.8 C
C. Blood pressure of 188/124 mm Hg with headache and blurred vision
D. Pulse of 78 and regular
Correct Answer: C. Blood pressure of 188/124 mm Hg with headache and blurred vision
Rationale: A blood pressure above 180/120 with symptoms such as headache and vision changes
suggests hypertensive emergency with possible organ damage. The other values are within normal limits.
11. Body mass index (BMI) is calculated as:
A. Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
B. Height divided by weight
C. Weight in pounds times height in inches
D. Waist circumference divided by hip circumference
Correct Answer: A. Weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
Rationale: BMI = kg / m squared, and an adult BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is considered normal weight.
Waist-to-hip ratio is a separate measure of fat distribution.
12. Chronic pain differs from acute pain in that chronic pain:
A. Always causes tachycardia and sweating
B. Has a clear, recent cause
C. Lasts beyond the expected healing time, often more than 3 to 6 months, and may not cause
changes in vital signs
D. Resolves quickly
Correct Answer: C. Lasts beyond the expected healing time, often more than 3 to 6 months,
and may not cause changes in vital signs
Rationale: Long-standing pain often lacks the autonomic signs of acute pain, so a calm appearance does
not rule it out. Acute pain has a recent cause, resolves with healing and more often raises heart rate and
blood pressure.
