NURS 550 EXAM 2 COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ Set the Stage Answer: • Welcome the patient using their name •
Introduce yourself and your role • Remove communication barriers -
Family or professional translator • Ensure patient privacy and
comfort • Set the agenda for the visit - What are you going to do
◉ Why is the Patient Here?
• Answer: • Begin with open-ended questions - Requires patients to
actually describe their complaints - Obtain accurate, patient-specific
information • Avoid closed-ended questions - Similar to a long
health history survey - Actually takes longer than open-ended
questions
• Be attentive while the patient is speaking - Of yourself • Silence,
non-verbal encouragement , body language -The Patient • Look for
non-verbal signs and cues
• Ask question(s) and then ask again, using the patients own words •
What is the patient's personal story • Ask emotion-seeking
questions
◉ Comprehensive or Focused Answer: Comprehensive • New
patients • Identifies and rules out physical causes related to patient
concerns • Baseline • Health promotion
,Focused • Established patients • Focused concerns • Symptoms of
specific system(s)
◉ Comprehensive History Answer: • The comprehensive history is
to be performed on all non-emergent, new patients who will be
receiving ongoing primary care from a particular provider or group.
• It is also expected within the hospital setting.
Patient Identifiers Reliability Chief Complaint HPI
Past Medical History Family History Social History Review of
Systems (ROS)
◉ Focused History Answer: A focused history is performed in
emergency situations and/or when the patient is already under the
ongoing care of the clinician and presents with a specific problem
oriented complaint. Identifying data Chief Complaint Data from the
patient's medical history, family history and social history that are
pertinent to the chief complaint Problem oriented ROS
◉ The Complete Health History Answer: Identifying information •
Chief complaint or concern (CC) • History of present illness (HPI) •
Past medical history (PMH) • Family history (FH) • Social history
(SH) • Review of systems (ROS)
,◉ Comprehensive Health History: You've Opened the Door! Answer:
Identifying Information - Name - Age - Address - Occupation •
Source of Referral • PCP • Nearest relative, contact information •
Date and Time • Source of history, reliability
• Note: this information is very important but is often ignored
◉ Documenting the Chief Complaint Do Not Confuse the CC and HPI
Answer: The primary reason the patient is seeking medical
attention, recorded using the patients own words, in quotes X
duration - "abdominal pain" x 3 months - Chest pain • One sentence,
never more than two • Do not editorialize or embellish
- The chief complaint is not your interpretation of why a patient is
seeking help, but the patient's
◉ History of Present Illness HPI Answer: Description of the patient's
chief complaint starting from the last time the patient felt well
Attempt to understand the full story of the development and
expression of the chief complaint in the context of the patient's life
Determine the actual reason for coming in at this particular time.
Why Today???
, ◉ Health History Answer: • History of Present Illness (HPI)
"OLDCART" - -
- Onset
- Location/Radiation
- Duration
- Characteristic
- Associated Symptoms
- Relieving /aggravating factors
- Treatments
◉ LOCATES Answer: To help you remember -
L ocation
O ther associated symptoms
C haracter (or quality)
A lleviating/aggravating
T iming
E nvironment/setting
S everity
◉ PQRSSTA Answer: To help you remember -
P rovocative/Palliative
Q uality
EXAMINATION 2026 FULL QUESTIONS AND
CORRECT ANSWERS
◉ Set the Stage Answer: • Welcome the patient using their name •
Introduce yourself and your role • Remove communication barriers -
Family or professional translator • Ensure patient privacy and
comfort • Set the agenda for the visit - What are you going to do
◉ Why is the Patient Here?
• Answer: • Begin with open-ended questions - Requires patients to
actually describe their complaints - Obtain accurate, patient-specific
information • Avoid closed-ended questions - Similar to a long
health history survey - Actually takes longer than open-ended
questions
• Be attentive while the patient is speaking - Of yourself • Silence,
non-verbal encouragement , body language -The Patient • Look for
non-verbal signs and cues
• Ask question(s) and then ask again, using the patients own words •
What is the patient's personal story • Ask emotion-seeking
questions
◉ Comprehensive or Focused Answer: Comprehensive • New
patients • Identifies and rules out physical causes related to patient
concerns • Baseline • Health promotion
,Focused • Established patients • Focused concerns • Symptoms of
specific system(s)
◉ Comprehensive History Answer: • The comprehensive history is
to be performed on all non-emergent, new patients who will be
receiving ongoing primary care from a particular provider or group.
• It is also expected within the hospital setting.
Patient Identifiers Reliability Chief Complaint HPI
Past Medical History Family History Social History Review of
Systems (ROS)
◉ Focused History Answer: A focused history is performed in
emergency situations and/or when the patient is already under the
ongoing care of the clinician and presents with a specific problem
oriented complaint. Identifying data Chief Complaint Data from the
patient's medical history, family history and social history that are
pertinent to the chief complaint Problem oriented ROS
◉ The Complete Health History Answer: Identifying information •
Chief complaint or concern (CC) • History of present illness (HPI) •
Past medical history (PMH) • Family history (FH) • Social history
(SH) • Review of systems (ROS)
,◉ Comprehensive Health History: You've Opened the Door! Answer:
Identifying Information - Name - Age - Address - Occupation •
Source of Referral • PCP • Nearest relative, contact information •
Date and Time • Source of history, reliability
• Note: this information is very important but is often ignored
◉ Documenting the Chief Complaint Do Not Confuse the CC and HPI
Answer: The primary reason the patient is seeking medical
attention, recorded using the patients own words, in quotes X
duration - "abdominal pain" x 3 months - Chest pain • One sentence,
never more than two • Do not editorialize or embellish
- The chief complaint is not your interpretation of why a patient is
seeking help, but the patient's
◉ History of Present Illness HPI Answer: Description of the patient's
chief complaint starting from the last time the patient felt well
Attempt to understand the full story of the development and
expression of the chief complaint in the context of the patient's life
Determine the actual reason for coming in at this particular time.
Why Today???
, ◉ Health History Answer: • History of Present Illness (HPI)
"OLDCART" - -
- Onset
- Location/Radiation
- Duration
- Characteristic
- Associated Symptoms
- Relieving /aggravating factors
- Treatments
◉ LOCATES Answer: To help you remember -
L ocation
O ther associated symptoms
C haracter (or quality)
A lleviating/aggravating
T iming
E nvironment/setting
S everity
◉ PQRSSTA Answer: To help you remember -
P rovocative/Palliative
Q uality
