OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Nursing Test Bank
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection
OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills
Nursing Test Bank
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection and Lab Testing
Review Questions
Multiple Choice
1. A nurse is preparing to perform a dipstick urinalysis on a patient with symptoms of dysuria.
Which urine assessment cannot be determined from a dipstick test?
A. bacteria type*
B. pH level
C. nitrites
D. specific gravity
LO: 10.1.1
Difficulty: Easy
Blooms: Remember
AACN: 1.2a, 2.3d
2. A nurse cares for a patient who presents to the ER with urinary retention. He has pain, an
inability to void, and a distended abdomen. The nurse can anticipate which procedure for
collecting a urine sample?
A. catheterized collection*
B. clean-catch collection
C. timed urine collection
D. twenty-four-hour collection
LO: 10.1.2
Difficulty: Moderate
Blooms: Apply
AACN: 1.3a, 2.4c
3. A nurse is evaluating the results of a complete urinalysis on an older adult who recently
sustained a fall at an assisted living facility. The nurse notes a strong odor, pH 4.3, and
specific gravity of 1.035; other urinalysis findings are negative or in the normal range. What
do these findings suggest?
A. infection
B. dehydration*
C. diabetes
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Chapter 10: Specimen Collection
D. kidney damage
LO: 10.1.3
Difficulty: Difficult
Blooms: Analyze
AACN: 1.3a, 2.3d
4. A patient tells the nurse he forgot to put his twenty-four-hour urine specimen collection
container in the refrigerator for a few hours during the night; how may this affect the
specimen?
A. may cause bacterial growth in the urine*
B. may cause more concentrated urine
C. may change the color of the urine
D. may decrease the pH of the urine
LO: 10.1.3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blooms: Apply
AACN: 1.3a, 2.3e
5. A patient presents to an urgent care clinic with a report of diarrhea for seven days since
returning from a trip to Mexico. The healthcare provider orders multiple stool tests,
including O&P, culture, fat test, and FOBT. Which of these tests for the presence of
bacteria?
A. stool culture*
B. stool fat test
C. stool FOBT
D. stool for O&P
LO: 10.2.3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blooms: Apply
AACN: 1.3a, 2.3e
6. What factor is important to ensure accurate results when collecting a stool specimen for
testing with a fecal occult blood card?
A. allow 5 minutes before reading the test
B. apply the fecal occult developer solution immediately after collection
C. collect a sample from one small bowel movement
D. obtain a sample without urine contamination*
LO: 10.2.2
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
2 1/29/2026
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection
OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills
Nursing Test Bank
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection and Lab Testing
Review Questions
Multiple Choice
1. A nurse is preparing to perform a dipstick urinalysis on a patient with symptoms of dysuria.
Which urine assessment cannot be determined from a dipstick test?
A. bacteria type*
B. pH level
C. nitrites
D. specific gravity
LO: 10.1.1
Difficulty: Easy
Blooms: Remember
AACN: 1.2a, 2.3d
2. A nurse cares for a patient who presents to the ER with urinary retention. He has pain, an
inability to void, and a distended abdomen. The nurse can anticipate which procedure for
collecting a urine sample?
A. catheterized collection*
B. clean-catch collection
C. timed urine collection
D. twenty-four-hour collection
LO: 10.1.2
Difficulty: Moderate
Blooms: Apply
AACN: 1.3a, 2.4c
3. A nurse is evaluating the results of a complete urinalysis on an older adult who recently
sustained a fall at an assisted living facility. The nurse notes a strong odor, pH 4.3, and
specific gravity of 1.035; other urinalysis findings are negative or in the normal range. What
do these findings suggest?
A. infection
B. dehydration*
C. diabetes
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
1 1/29/2026
, OpenStax Clinical Nursing Skills Nursing Test Bank
Chapter 10: Specimen Collection
D. kidney damage
LO: 10.1.3
Difficulty: Difficult
Blooms: Analyze
AACN: 1.3a, 2.3d
4. A patient tells the nurse he forgot to put his twenty-four-hour urine specimen collection
container in the refrigerator for a few hours during the night; how may this affect the
specimen?
A. may cause bacterial growth in the urine*
B. may cause more concentrated urine
C. may change the color of the urine
D. may decrease the pH of the urine
LO: 10.1.3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blooms: Apply
AACN: 1.3a, 2.3e
5. A patient presents to an urgent care clinic with a report of diarrhea for seven days since
returning from a trip to Mexico. The healthcare provider orders multiple stool tests,
including O&P, culture, fat test, and FOBT. Which of these tests for the presence of
bacteria?
A. stool culture*
B. stool fat test
C. stool FOBT
D. stool for O&P
LO: 10.2.3
Difficulty: Moderate
Blooms: Apply
AACN: 1.3a, 2.3e
6. What factor is important to ensure accurate results when collecting a stool specimen for
testing with a fecal occult blood card?
A. allow 5 minutes before reading the test
B. apply the fecal occult developer solution immediately after collection
C. collect a sample from one small bowel movement
D. obtain a sample without urine contamination*
LO: 10.2.2
For more free, peer-reviewed, openly licensed resources visit OpenStax.org.
2 1/29/2026
