NR302 Exam 1: Health Assessment Questions and Answers and
Explanations | Latest - Chamberlain
1. Which of the following is considered subjective data?
A. A patient’s blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg
B. A patient describing their chest pain as ‘crushing’
C. The nurse observing a patient grimacing while moving
D. A laboratory result showing a low hemoglobin level
Answer: B
Explanation: Subjective data is what the patient says about themselves, including their
sensations, feelings, or descriptions of symptoms. Objective data is observable and
measurable by the nurse.
2. The nurse is assessing a patient’s abdomen. In what order should the physical
assessment techniques be performed?
A. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
B. Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection
C. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
D. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
Answer: C
,Explanation: For the abdominal assessment, the order is changed to Inspection,
Auscultation, Percussion, and then Palpation to avoid altering bowel sounds through
manipulation.
3. A nurse uses the diaphragm of the stethoscope to listen for which type of
sounds?
A. High-pitched sounds like breath and normal heart sounds
B. Low-pitched sounds like heart murmurs
C. Bruits over the carotid arteries
D. Extra heart sounds like S3 and S4
Answer: A
Explanation: The diaphragm is best for high-pitched sounds (breath, bowel, normal heart
sounds). The bell is used for low-pitched sounds (murmurs, bruits, extra heart sounds).
4. What does the ‘P’ in the PQRSTU mnemonic for pain assessment stand for?
A. Palpation
B. Provocative or Palliative
C. Pattern
D. Progression
Answer: B
Explanation: P stands for Provocative or Palliative: What makes the pain worse or better?
,5. When assessing an adult’s ear with an otoscope, how should the nurse pull
the pinna?
A. Up and back
B. Straight back
C. Down and back
D. Up and forward
Answer: A
Explanation: For adults, the pinna is pulled up and back to straighten the external auditory
canal. For children under 3, it is pulled down.
6. Which assessment finding of a lymph node would most likely suggest
malignancy?
A. Soft, mobile, and non-tender
B. Hard, fixed, and non-tender
C. Small, movable, and tender
D. Large, rubbery, and painful
Answer: B
Explanation: Nodes that are hard, fixed (unmovable), and non-tender are suspicious for
malignancy. Normal nodes are often non-palpable or soft and mobile.
, 7. A nurse is performing a general survey. Which of the following is a
component of this assessment?
A. Assessing the patient’s gait and posture
B. Auscultating lung sounds
C. Checking deep tendon reflexes
D. Reviewing the results of a chest X-ray
Answer: A
Explanation: The general survey includes physical appearance, body structure, mobility
(gait/posture), and behavior.
8. If a blood pressure cuff is too narrow for the patient’s arm, the resulting
reading will be:
A. Falsely high
B. Falsely low
C. Accurate
D. Inconsistent
Answer: A
Explanation: A cuff that is too small or too narrow will yield a falsely high blood pressure
reading because it requires more pressure to compress the artery.
Explanations | Latest - Chamberlain
1. Which of the following is considered subjective data?
A. A patient’s blood pressure reading of 140/90 mmHg
B. A patient describing their chest pain as ‘crushing’
C. The nurse observing a patient grimacing while moving
D. A laboratory result showing a low hemoglobin level
Answer: B
Explanation: Subjective data is what the patient says about themselves, including their
sensations, feelings, or descriptions of symptoms. Objective data is observable and
measurable by the nurse.
2. The nurse is assessing a patient’s abdomen. In what order should the physical
assessment techniques be performed?
A. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
B. Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection
C. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
D. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
Answer: C
,Explanation: For the abdominal assessment, the order is changed to Inspection,
Auscultation, Percussion, and then Palpation to avoid altering bowel sounds through
manipulation.
3. A nurse uses the diaphragm of the stethoscope to listen for which type of
sounds?
A. High-pitched sounds like breath and normal heart sounds
B. Low-pitched sounds like heart murmurs
C. Bruits over the carotid arteries
D. Extra heart sounds like S3 and S4
Answer: A
Explanation: The diaphragm is best for high-pitched sounds (breath, bowel, normal heart
sounds). The bell is used for low-pitched sounds (murmurs, bruits, extra heart sounds).
4. What does the ‘P’ in the PQRSTU mnemonic for pain assessment stand for?
A. Palpation
B. Provocative or Palliative
C. Pattern
D. Progression
Answer: B
Explanation: P stands for Provocative or Palliative: What makes the pain worse or better?
,5. When assessing an adult’s ear with an otoscope, how should the nurse pull
the pinna?
A. Up and back
B. Straight back
C. Down and back
D. Up and forward
Answer: A
Explanation: For adults, the pinna is pulled up and back to straighten the external auditory
canal. For children under 3, it is pulled down.
6. Which assessment finding of a lymph node would most likely suggest
malignancy?
A. Soft, mobile, and non-tender
B. Hard, fixed, and non-tender
C. Small, movable, and tender
D. Large, rubbery, and painful
Answer: B
Explanation: Nodes that are hard, fixed (unmovable), and non-tender are suspicious for
malignancy. Normal nodes are often non-palpable or soft and mobile.
, 7. A nurse is performing a general survey. Which of the following is a
component of this assessment?
A. Assessing the patient’s gait and posture
B. Auscultating lung sounds
C. Checking deep tendon reflexes
D. Reviewing the results of a chest X-ray
Answer: A
Explanation: The general survey includes physical appearance, body structure, mobility
(gait/posture), and behavior.
8. If a blood pressure cuff is too narrow for the patient’s arm, the resulting
reading will be:
A. Falsely high
B. Falsely low
C. Accurate
D. Inconsistent
Answer: A
Explanation: A cuff that is too small or too narrow will yield a falsely high blood pressure
reading because it requires more pressure to compress the artery.
