NURS 251 EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PRACTICE QUESTIONS
WITH SOLUTIONS NEWEST | ALREADY GRADED A+
What is confirmation bias?
Overlooking things that do not confirm the preconception (only looking at symptoms that
confirm the original diagnosis while ignoring signs that may suggest an alternative)
How can sensitivity be defined?
- How accurate a test is at identifying people who actually have a disease
(True positive)
How can specificity be defined?
- How accurate a test is at identifying people who do not have a disease
(True negative)
There are 7 women without cancer and 3 with cancer. If a test correctly identifies 7 women
without cancer and 3 with cancer, how can its specificity and sensitivity be described?
High specificity and high sensitivity
There are 7 women without cancer and 3 with cancer. If a test correctly identifies 3 women
with cancer but also incorrectly identifies 3 normal women as having cancer, how can its
specificity and sensitivity be described?
Low specificity and high sensitivity
There are 7 women without cancer and 3 with cancer. If a test only correctly identifies one
of the women with cancer and also incorrectly identifies a normal woman as having cancer,
how can its specificity and sensitivity be described?
Low specificity and low sensitivity
When is high sensitivity important?
- When it is important not to miss a problem
- Remember this may cause false positives
, 2
When is high specificity important?
- When it is important to confirm a problem
- Remember this may cause false negatives
What does positive predictive value mean?
The more prevalent a problem is, the better the chance that a positive test indicates there really is
a problem
What does negative predictive value mean?
The less prevalent a problem is, the better the chance that a negative test means there really isn't
a problem
What is implied by the principle of approaching consequences?
- In the differential, think what's going to kill the patient in the next 10 seconds, 10 minutes, 10
hours, 10 days, 10 months
- This helps to order how we address differential and each problem identified
What is the principle of differential analysis?
- Everything starts from a list of possible suspects
- It is the examiner's job to use evidence from that list to determine what is the true cause
What is the principle of "do as little harm as possible?"
- Every question, exam maneuver, or test comes with a risk and the payoff of whatever you do
should exceed the risk
What is the principle of the "Big Net?"
- Ask big questions that can catch everything
- Then move down to smaller (more specific) questions that focus on the specific symptom
What is the principle of multiple lines of evidence?
, 3
- You cannot arrive at a diagnosis (nursing or medical) is arrived based on one datum alone
- You need to use the history/report, examination, and other tests together to help converge on a
vanishing number of differentials until one is probably true
What is the correct order of assessment?
History, examination, tests
What is the principle of maneuvers lead to decisions?
Every history question, every exam maneuver should either contribute to helping find a new
disease or potential issue or help you make a clinical decision (wait and watch, call the clinician,
intervene, or refer)
What is the nursing diagnosis?
- Domain of nurses
- Sets stage for nursing care plan
- Expansive to cover a wide arrange of health issues
- Nurses should use in charting and may not concern the provider (but it should)
- Remember: It is more about addressing a patient's symptoms and treating them rather than
labeling a problem
What is a diagnosis?
What the problem is
What is the structure for writing a problem-focused diagnosis?
[Problem/diagnostic label] "related to" [related factors] "as evidenced by" [defining
characteristics]
What is the following statement an example of?:
WITH SOLUTIONS NEWEST | ALREADY GRADED A+
What is confirmation bias?
Overlooking things that do not confirm the preconception (only looking at symptoms that
confirm the original diagnosis while ignoring signs that may suggest an alternative)
How can sensitivity be defined?
- How accurate a test is at identifying people who actually have a disease
(True positive)
How can specificity be defined?
- How accurate a test is at identifying people who do not have a disease
(True negative)
There are 7 women without cancer and 3 with cancer. If a test correctly identifies 7 women
without cancer and 3 with cancer, how can its specificity and sensitivity be described?
High specificity and high sensitivity
There are 7 women without cancer and 3 with cancer. If a test correctly identifies 3 women
with cancer but also incorrectly identifies 3 normal women as having cancer, how can its
specificity and sensitivity be described?
Low specificity and high sensitivity
There are 7 women without cancer and 3 with cancer. If a test only correctly identifies one
of the women with cancer and also incorrectly identifies a normal woman as having cancer,
how can its specificity and sensitivity be described?
Low specificity and low sensitivity
When is high sensitivity important?
- When it is important not to miss a problem
- Remember this may cause false positives
, 2
When is high specificity important?
- When it is important to confirm a problem
- Remember this may cause false negatives
What does positive predictive value mean?
The more prevalent a problem is, the better the chance that a positive test indicates there really is
a problem
What does negative predictive value mean?
The less prevalent a problem is, the better the chance that a negative test means there really isn't
a problem
What is implied by the principle of approaching consequences?
- In the differential, think what's going to kill the patient in the next 10 seconds, 10 minutes, 10
hours, 10 days, 10 months
- This helps to order how we address differential and each problem identified
What is the principle of differential analysis?
- Everything starts from a list of possible suspects
- It is the examiner's job to use evidence from that list to determine what is the true cause
What is the principle of "do as little harm as possible?"
- Every question, exam maneuver, or test comes with a risk and the payoff of whatever you do
should exceed the risk
What is the principle of the "Big Net?"
- Ask big questions that can catch everything
- Then move down to smaller (more specific) questions that focus on the specific symptom
What is the principle of multiple lines of evidence?
, 3
- You cannot arrive at a diagnosis (nursing or medical) is arrived based on one datum alone
- You need to use the history/report, examination, and other tests together to help converge on a
vanishing number of differentials until one is probably true
What is the correct order of assessment?
History, examination, tests
What is the principle of maneuvers lead to decisions?
Every history question, every exam maneuver should either contribute to helping find a new
disease or potential issue or help you make a clinical decision (wait and watch, call the clinician,
intervene, or refer)
What is the nursing diagnosis?
- Domain of nurses
- Sets stage for nursing care plan
- Expansive to cover a wide arrange of health issues
- Nurses should use in charting and may not concern the provider (but it should)
- Remember: It is more about addressing a patient's symptoms and treating them rather than
labeling a problem
What is a diagnosis?
What the problem is
What is the structure for writing a problem-focused diagnosis?
[Problem/diagnostic label] "related to" [related factors] "as evidenced by" [defining
characteristics]
What is the following statement an example of?:
