NR-509 NR 509 NR509 Advanced Physical
Assessment Practicum Questions and Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2025
1. During a head-to-toe assessment, the nurse palpates a thrill over the
precordium. This finding is most consistent with which condition?
A. Pericarditis
B. Valvular stenosis
C. Myocardial infarction
D. Cardiac tamponade
Thrills are vibratory sensations felt on the skin overlying an area of turbulence
and are typically associated with valvular stenosis or significant cardiac
murmurs.
2. Which cranial nerve is tested by assessing facial symmetry when a patient
smiles or frowns?
A. Cranial Nerve V
B. Cranial Nerve VII
C. Cranial Nerve IX
D. Cranial Nerve XII
Cranial Nerve VII (Facial nerve) controls the muscles of facial expression, which
are evaluated by having the patient smile, frown, and raise eyebrows.
,3. A nurse hears a loud, harsh murmur best heard at the right second intercostal
space. This is most likely a sign of:
A. Mitral regurgitation
B. Pulmonary stenosis
C. Aortic stenosis
D. Tricuspid regurgitation
Aortic stenosis produces a systolic murmur best heard at the right second
intercostal space with radiation to the neck.
4. When auscultating lung sounds, the nurse hears high-pitched, musical sounds
during expiration. These are most likely:
A. Crackles
B. Wheezes
C. Rhonchi
D. Pleural rubs
Wheezes are continuous, high-pitched sounds typically heard during expiration
and are associated with airway narrowing, such as in asthma or COPD.
5. The Rinne test compares which two types of hearing?
A. Sensory and motor
B. Air and bone conduction
C. High and low frequency
D. Central and peripheral
, The Rinne test compares air conduction (AC) to bone conduction (BC); AC should
be greater than BC in normal hearing.
6. What is the expected finding when palpating the liver edge during a normal
abdominal exam?
A. Firm and enlarged
B. Soft, smooth, and non-palpable or felt at the costal margin
C. Hard and nodular
D. Tender and irregular
Normally, the liver is either non-palpable or may be palpated as a soft edge at
the right costal margin during inspiration.
7. Which eye test is used to assess for accommodation?
A. Corneal light reflex
B. Near reaction test
C. Visual field test
D. Fundoscopic exam
Accommodation is tested by having the patient focus on a near object, watching
for pupil constriction and convergence of the eyes.
8. You observe a patient’s uvula deviates to the right when saying "ah." This
finding suggests a lesion of which cranial nerve?
A. Cranial Nerve IX on the right
B. Cranial Nerve X on the left
Assessment Practicum Questions and Correct
Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales
2025
1. During a head-to-toe assessment, the nurse palpates a thrill over the
precordium. This finding is most consistent with which condition?
A. Pericarditis
B. Valvular stenosis
C. Myocardial infarction
D. Cardiac tamponade
Thrills are vibratory sensations felt on the skin overlying an area of turbulence
and are typically associated with valvular stenosis or significant cardiac
murmurs.
2. Which cranial nerve is tested by assessing facial symmetry when a patient
smiles or frowns?
A. Cranial Nerve V
B. Cranial Nerve VII
C. Cranial Nerve IX
D. Cranial Nerve XII
Cranial Nerve VII (Facial nerve) controls the muscles of facial expression, which
are evaluated by having the patient smile, frown, and raise eyebrows.
,3. A nurse hears a loud, harsh murmur best heard at the right second intercostal
space. This is most likely a sign of:
A. Mitral regurgitation
B. Pulmonary stenosis
C. Aortic stenosis
D. Tricuspid regurgitation
Aortic stenosis produces a systolic murmur best heard at the right second
intercostal space with radiation to the neck.
4. When auscultating lung sounds, the nurse hears high-pitched, musical sounds
during expiration. These are most likely:
A. Crackles
B. Wheezes
C. Rhonchi
D. Pleural rubs
Wheezes are continuous, high-pitched sounds typically heard during expiration
and are associated with airway narrowing, such as in asthma or COPD.
5. The Rinne test compares which two types of hearing?
A. Sensory and motor
B. Air and bone conduction
C. High and low frequency
D. Central and peripheral
, The Rinne test compares air conduction (AC) to bone conduction (BC); AC should
be greater than BC in normal hearing.
6. What is the expected finding when palpating the liver edge during a normal
abdominal exam?
A. Firm and enlarged
B. Soft, smooth, and non-palpable or felt at the costal margin
C. Hard and nodular
D. Tender and irregular
Normally, the liver is either non-palpable or may be palpated as a soft edge at
the right costal margin during inspiration.
7. Which eye test is used to assess for accommodation?
A. Corneal light reflex
B. Near reaction test
C. Visual field test
D. Fundoscopic exam
Accommodation is tested by having the patient focus on a near object, watching
for pupil constriction and convergence of the eyes.
8. You observe a patient’s uvula deviates to the right when saying "ah." This
finding suggests a lesion of which cranial nerve?
A. Cranial Nerve IX on the right
B. Cranial Nerve X on the left
