1
NR302 Health Assessment Exam 2 2026/2027
Actual Exam - Complete Questions with
Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified Graded
A+ Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Neurological Assessment (Q1-15)
Q1: A nurse is assessing a patient's mental status. The patient is awake, but only responds to
painful stimuli by moaning and briefly opening their eyes. How should the nurse document this
level of consciousness?
A. Lethargic
B. Obtunded [CORRECT]
C. Stuporous
D. Comatose
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Obtunded is defined as a state where the patient is asleep most of the time, requires
vigorous or painful stimuli to arouse, and when aroused, shows limited verbal and motor
responses. Lethargic patients awaken easily; stuporous patients require repeated painful stimuli;
comatose patients are unarousable.
Q2: A nurse is testing a patient's cranial nerve XI (Accessory). Which of the following
instructions is most appropriate for the nurse to give?
A. "Shrug your shoulders against my hands and turn your head to the side against resistance."
[CORRECT]
B. "Stick out your tongue and move it side to side."
C. "Smile, frown, and raise your eyebrows."
D. "Swallow this sip of water."
Correct Answer: A
,2
Rationale: Cranial nerve XI (Spinal Accessory) innervates the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius
muscles. Asking the patient to shrug their shoulders and turn their head against resistance
accurately tests the strength of these muscle groups.
Q3: During a motor assessment, a nurse asks the patient to flex their arm and then attempts to
straighten it while the patient resists. The nurse notes that the patient provides full resistance to
the movement. How should the nurse grade this muscle strength?
A. 3/5
B. 4/5
C. 5/5 [CORRECT]
D. 2/5
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A 5/5 grade indicates normal strength, meaning the patient can maintain the joint
position against full examiner resistance. A 4/5 indicates good strength but some weakness
against resistance.
Q4: A nurse is assessing deep tendon reflexes (DTRs) on a patient. The nurse observes a brisk,
hyperactive response that is more than normally expected, but there is no clonus. How should the
nurse document this finding?
A. 1+
B. 2+
C. 3+ [CORRECT]
D. 4+
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Deep tendon reflexes are graded on a scale from 0 to 4+. A 3+ response is considered
brisker than average or hyperactive, but without sustained clonus. A 2+ is normal, and a 4+
indicates hyperactive reflexes with clonus.
Q5: A patient presents with a sudden onset of right-sided facial droop, right arm weakness, and
slurred speech. The nurse recognizes these symptoms as potential signs of a stroke. Which
,3
cranial nerve is being assessed when the nurse asks the patient to "show me your teeth and
smile"?
A. Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal)
B. Cranial Nerve VII (Facial) [CORRECT]
C. Cranial Nerve IX (Glossopharyngeal)
D. Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII (Facial) controls the muscles of facial expression. Asking the
patient to smile, frown, or show teeth tests the motor function of the upper and lower face,
helping to identify unilateral facial weakness common in strokes.
Q6: A nurse is performing a sensory assessment and asks the patient to close their eyes. The
nurse places a vibrating tuning fork on the patient's great toe. The patient correctly identifies
when the vibration stops. What sensory pathway is the nurse assessing?
A. Spinothalamic tract
B. Dorsal column (posterior column) [CORRECT]
C. Corticospinal tract
D. Reticular activating system
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Vibration sense, along with proprioception (position sense) and stereognosis, is
carried by the dorsal columns (posterior columns) of the spinal cord. The spinothalamic tract
carries pain and temperature sensations.
Q7: A nurse asks a patient to close their eyes and identify a common object (like a key) placed in
their hand. The patient is unable to name the object. What is this assessment technique called,
and what does it evaluate?
A. Graphesthesia; assesses dorsal column function
B. Stereognosis; assesses dorsal column and parietal lobe integration [CORRECT]
C. Two-point discrimination; assesses peripheral nerve integrity
D. Extinction; assesses parietal lobe neglect
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Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Stereognosis is the ability to identify an object solely through touch. It requires intact
peripheral sensory pathways (dorsal columns) and cortical integration in the parietal lobe.
Inability to identify the object is called astereognosis.
Q8: A nurse is performing the Romberg test. The patient stands with feet together, arms at the
sides, and eyes open. The nurse then asks the patient to close their eyes. The patient begins to
sway significantly and nearly loses their balance. What does this abnormal finding suggest?
A. Cerebellar dysfunction
B. Vestibular dysfunction
C. Impaired proprioception (dorsal column deficit) [CORRECT]
D. Upper motor neuron lesion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Romberg test assesses proprioception (sense of position) and vibration sense,
which are carried by the dorsal columns. If the patient sways with eyes closed but can stand
steady with eyes open (using visual compensation), it indicates a loss of proprioception, not
cerebellar dysfunction.
Q9: A nurse is assessing a patient who is unconscious following a traumatic brain injury. The
patient extends their arms and legs rigidly, with the arms adducted and internally rotated, and the
feet plantar flexed. How should the nurse document this abnormal posturing?
A. Decorticate posturing
B. Decerebrate posturing [CORRECT]
C. Flaccid posturing
D. Opisthotonos
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Decerebrate posturing is characterized by rigid extension of the arms and legs,
adduction and internal rotation of the arms, and plantar flexion of the feet. It indicates severe
damage to the brainstem, which is a worse prognostic sign than decorticate posturing (flexion of
arms, extension of legs).
NR302 Health Assessment Exam 2 2026/2027
Actual Exam - Complete Questions with
Detailed Rationales | 100% Verified Graded
A+ Pass Guaranteed - A+ Graded
Section 1: Neurological Assessment (Q1-15)
Q1: A nurse is assessing a patient's mental status. The patient is awake, but only responds to
painful stimuli by moaning and briefly opening their eyes. How should the nurse document this
level of consciousness?
A. Lethargic
B. Obtunded [CORRECT]
C. Stuporous
D. Comatose
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Obtunded is defined as a state where the patient is asleep most of the time, requires
vigorous or painful stimuli to arouse, and when aroused, shows limited verbal and motor
responses. Lethargic patients awaken easily; stuporous patients require repeated painful stimuli;
comatose patients are unarousable.
Q2: A nurse is testing a patient's cranial nerve XI (Accessory). Which of the following
instructions is most appropriate for the nurse to give?
A. "Shrug your shoulders against my hands and turn your head to the side against resistance."
[CORRECT]
B. "Stick out your tongue and move it side to side."
C. "Smile, frown, and raise your eyebrows."
D. "Swallow this sip of water."
Correct Answer: A
,2
Rationale: Cranial nerve XI (Spinal Accessory) innervates the sternocleidomastoid and trapezius
muscles. Asking the patient to shrug their shoulders and turn their head against resistance
accurately tests the strength of these muscle groups.
Q3: During a motor assessment, a nurse asks the patient to flex their arm and then attempts to
straighten it while the patient resists. The nurse notes that the patient provides full resistance to
the movement. How should the nurse grade this muscle strength?
A. 3/5
B. 4/5
C. 5/5 [CORRECT]
D. 2/5
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A 5/5 grade indicates normal strength, meaning the patient can maintain the joint
position against full examiner resistance. A 4/5 indicates good strength but some weakness
against resistance.
Q4: A nurse is assessing deep tendon reflexes (DTRs) on a patient. The nurse observes a brisk,
hyperactive response that is more than normally expected, but there is no clonus. How should the
nurse document this finding?
A. 1+
B. 2+
C. 3+ [CORRECT]
D. 4+
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Deep tendon reflexes are graded on a scale from 0 to 4+. A 3+ response is considered
brisker than average or hyperactive, but without sustained clonus. A 2+ is normal, and a 4+
indicates hyperactive reflexes with clonus.
Q5: A patient presents with a sudden onset of right-sided facial droop, right arm weakness, and
slurred speech. The nurse recognizes these symptoms as potential signs of a stroke. Which
,3
cranial nerve is being assessed when the nurse asks the patient to "show me your teeth and
smile"?
A. Cranial Nerve V (Trigeminal)
B. Cranial Nerve VII (Facial) [CORRECT]
C. Cranial Nerve IX (Glossopharyngeal)
D. Cranial Nerve XII (Hypoglossal)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Cranial nerve VII (Facial) controls the muscles of facial expression. Asking the
patient to smile, frown, or show teeth tests the motor function of the upper and lower face,
helping to identify unilateral facial weakness common in strokes.
Q6: A nurse is performing a sensory assessment and asks the patient to close their eyes. The
nurse places a vibrating tuning fork on the patient's great toe. The patient correctly identifies
when the vibration stops. What sensory pathway is the nurse assessing?
A. Spinothalamic tract
B. Dorsal column (posterior column) [CORRECT]
C. Corticospinal tract
D. Reticular activating system
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Vibration sense, along with proprioception (position sense) and stereognosis, is
carried by the dorsal columns (posterior columns) of the spinal cord. The spinothalamic tract
carries pain and temperature sensations.
Q7: A nurse asks a patient to close their eyes and identify a common object (like a key) placed in
their hand. The patient is unable to name the object. What is this assessment technique called,
and what does it evaluate?
A. Graphesthesia; assesses dorsal column function
B. Stereognosis; assesses dorsal column and parietal lobe integration [CORRECT]
C. Two-point discrimination; assesses peripheral nerve integrity
D. Extinction; assesses parietal lobe neglect
, 4
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Stereognosis is the ability to identify an object solely through touch. It requires intact
peripheral sensory pathways (dorsal columns) and cortical integration in the parietal lobe.
Inability to identify the object is called astereognosis.
Q8: A nurse is performing the Romberg test. The patient stands with feet together, arms at the
sides, and eyes open. The nurse then asks the patient to close their eyes. The patient begins to
sway significantly and nearly loses their balance. What does this abnormal finding suggest?
A. Cerebellar dysfunction
B. Vestibular dysfunction
C. Impaired proprioception (dorsal column deficit) [CORRECT]
D. Upper motor neuron lesion
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Romberg test assesses proprioception (sense of position) and vibration sense,
which are carried by the dorsal columns. If the patient sways with eyes closed but can stand
steady with eyes open (using visual compensation), it indicates a loss of proprioception, not
cerebellar dysfunction.
Q9: A nurse is assessing a patient who is unconscious following a traumatic brain injury. The
patient extends their arms and legs rigidly, with the arms adducted and internally rotated, and the
feet plantar flexed. How should the nurse document this abnormal posturing?
A. Decorticate posturing
B. Decerebrate posturing [CORRECT]
C. Flaccid posturing
D. Opisthotonos
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Decerebrate posturing is characterized by rigid extension of the arms and legs,
adduction and internal rotation of the arms, and plantar flexion of the feet. It indicates severe
damage to the brainstem, which is a worse prognostic sign than decorticate posturing (flexion of
arms, extension of legs).
