NR302 Final Exam 2026| Comprehensive
Nursing Exam Questions and Answers
1. Which assessment by the nurse most likely indicates that a patient is having difficulty
breathing?
a. 18 breaths per minute and inhaled through the mouth
b. 20 breaths per minute and shallow in character
c. 16 breaths per minute and deep in character
d. 28 breaths per minute and noisy
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: A respiratory rate of 28 breaths per minute (tachypnea) combined with noisy
breathing indicates increased work of breathing and possible airway obstruction or distress.
Normal adult rate is 12–20 breaths per minute.
2. Which should a nurse always do when taking a rectal temperature?
a. Allow self-insertion of the thermometer.
b. Position the patient on the left side.
c. Use an electronic thermometer.
d. Lubricate the thermometer.
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: Lubrication reduces friction and prevents trauma to the rectal mucosa. It is a
universal safety step for rectal temperature measurement.
3. A nurse is assessing a patient’s ideal body weight. Which significant factor should be taken
into consideration when performing this assessment?
a. Daily intake
b. Body height
c. Clothing size
d. Food preferences
,Correct Answer: b
Explanation: Ideal body weight calculations (such as the Hamwi formula) are primarily based
on height and gender. Height is the key factor used in standard weight tables.
4. A nurse asks a patient’s wife specific questions about the patient’s health status before
admission. When collecting this information, the nurse is seeking information from a:
a. Primary source
b. Tertiary sources
c. Subjective source
d. Secondary source
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: The patient is the primary source. Information obtained from family members or
others is considered a secondary source.
5. A nurse is performing a physical assessment of a newly admitted patient. Which patient
statement communicates subjective data?
a. “I have sores between my toes.”
b. “I dye my hair but it is really gray.”
c. “My joints hurt when I get up in the morning.”
d. “My left leg drags on the floor when I am walking.”
Correct Answer: c
Explanation: Subjective data consists of what the patient reports (symptoms). Joint pain is a
symptom the patient feels; the others are observable signs (objective data).
6. A nurse takes a patient’s blood pressure and records a diastolic pressure of 120 mm Hg. Which
should the nurse do first?
a. Notify the primary health-care provider.
b. Retake the blood pressure.
c. Notify the nurse in charge.
d. Take the other vital signs.
Correct Answer: b
, Explanation: A diastolic reading of 120 mm Hg is unusually high and may be due to error
(wrong cuff size, patient movement, etc.). The nurse should first recheck the blood pressure to
verify accuracy.
7. A patient had a stroke that resulted in paralysis of the right side. When clustering data, the
nurse grouped the following together: drooling of saliva and slurred speech. Which information
is most significant to include with this clustered data?
a. Receptive aphasia
b. Inability to ambulate
c. Difficulty swallowing
d. Incontinence of bowel movements
Correct Answer: c
Explanation: Drooling and slurred speech together with right-sided paralysis suggest dysphagia
(difficulty swallowing), which increases the risk of aspiration.
8. A patient who experienced a stroke has left-sided hemiparesis and is incontinent of urine.
Which is an appropriately worded nursing diagnosis for this patient?
a. The patient has a need to maintain skin integrity.
b. The patient has a stroke evidenced by hemiparesis and incontinence.
c. The patient will be clean and dry and will receive range-of-motion exercises every four hours.
d. The patient is at risk for impaired skin integrity related to left-sided hemiparesis and
incontinence.
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: This is a correctly stated “Risk for” nursing diagnosis in PES format (Problem
related to Etiology). Options a and c are goals or interventions, and b includes medical diagnosis.
9. A nurse uses the interviewing process of clarification when interviewing a patient. Which is
the nurse doing when this communication technique is used?
a. Paraphrasing the patient’s message
b. Restating what the patient has said
c. Reviewing the patient’s communication
d. Verifying what is implied by the patient
Correct Answer: d
Nursing Exam Questions and Answers
1. Which assessment by the nurse most likely indicates that a patient is having difficulty
breathing?
a. 18 breaths per minute and inhaled through the mouth
b. 20 breaths per minute and shallow in character
c. 16 breaths per minute and deep in character
d. 28 breaths per minute and noisy
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: A respiratory rate of 28 breaths per minute (tachypnea) combined with noisy
breathing indicates increased work of breathing and possible airway obstruction or distress.
Normal adult rate is 12–20 breaths per minute.
2. Which should a nurse always do when taking a rectal temperature?
a. Allow self-insertion of the thermometer.
b. Position the patient on the left side.
c. Use an electronic thermometer.
d. Lubricate the thermometer.
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: Lubrication reduces friction and prevents trauma to the rectal mucosa. It is a
universal safety step for rectal temperature measurement.
3. A nurse is assessing a patient’s ideal body weight. Which significant factor should be taken
into consideration when performing this assessment?
a. Daily intake
b. Body height
c. Clothing size
d. Food preferences
,Correct Answer: b
Explanation: Ideal body weight calculations (such as the Hamwi formula) are primarily based
on height and gender. Height is the key factor used in standard weight tables.
4. A nurse asks a patient’s wife specific questions about the patient’s health status before
admission. When collecting this information, the nurse is seeking information from a:
a. Primary source
b. Tertiary sources
c. Subjective source
d. Secondary source
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: The patient is the primary source. Information obtained from family members or
others is considered a secondary source.
5. A nurse is performing a physical assessment of a newly admitted patient. Which patient
statement communicates subjective data?
a. “I have sores between my toes.”
b. “I dye my hair but it is really gray.”
c. “My joints hurt when I get up in the morning.”
d. “My left leg drags on the floor when I am walking.”
Correct Answer: c
Explanation: Subjective data consists of what the patient reports (symptoms). Joint pain is a
symptom the patient feels; the others are observable signs (objective data).
6. A nurse takes a patient’s blood pressure and records a diastolic pressure of 120 mm Hg. Which
should the nurse do first?
a. Notify the primary health-care provider.
b. Retake the blood pressure.
c. Notify the nurse in charge.
d. Take the other vital signs.
Correct Answer: b
, Explanation: A diastolic reading of 120 mm Hg is unusually high and may be due to error
(wrong cuff size, patient movement, etc.). The nurse should first recheck the blood pressure to
verify accuracy.
7. A patient had a stroke that resulted in paralysis of the right side. When clustering data, the
nurse grouped the following together: drooling of saliva and slurred speech. Which information
is most significant to include with this clustered data?
a. Receptive aphasia
b. Inability to ambulate
c. Difficulty swallowing
d. Incontinence of bowel movements
Correct Answer: c
Explanation: Drooling and slurred speech together with right-sided paralysis suggest dysphagia
(difficulty swallowing), which increases the risk of aspiration.
8. A patient who experienced a stroke has left-sided hemiparesis and is incontinent of urine.
Which is an appropriately worded nursing diagnosis for this patient?
a. The patient has a need to maintain skin integrity.
b. The patient has a stroke evidenced by hemiparesis and incontinence.
c. The patient will be clean and dry and will receive range-of-motion exercises every four hours.
d. The patient is at risk for impaired skin integrity related to left-sided hemiparesis and
incontinence.
Correct Answer: d
Explanation: This is a correctly stated “Risk for” nursing diagnosis in PES format (Problem
related to Etiology). Options a and c are goals or interventions, and b includes medical diagnosis.
9. A nurse uses the interviewing process of clarification when interviewing a patient. Which is
the nurse doing when this communication technique is used?
a. Paraphrasing the patient’s message
b. Restating what the patient has said
c. Reviewing the patient’s communication
d. Verifying what is implied by the patient
Correct Answer: d
