NR 305 Health Assessment Exam 2 Practice Quiz 2026 |Chamberlain
College
1. When assessing a patient’s skin turgor, which area is most reliable for an
elderly patient?
A. The back of the hand
B. The forehead
C. The abdomen
D. The sternum or under the clavicle
Answer: D
Rationale: In older adults, skin on the hands loses elasticity and may stay ‘tented’
regardless of hydration status; the sternum or subclavicular area provides a more accurate
assessment of turgor.
2. Which of the following describes the ‘A’ in the ABCD rule for skin cancer
screening?
A. Acquired
B. Amount
C. Accuracy
D. Asymmetry
Answer: D
Rationale: The ABCD rule stands for Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, and
Diameter greater than 6mm.
,3. During a respiratory assessment, the nurse hears high-pitched, musical
sounds primarily during expiration. These are documented as:
A. Crackles
B. Pleural friction rub
C. Wheezes
D. Stridor
Answer: C
Rationale: Wheezes are continuous, musical sounds caused by air flowing through
narrowed or obstructed airways, often seen in asthma.
4. To assess for jaundice in a dark-skinned patient, the nurse should inspect
which area?
A. The nail beds
B. The palms of the hands
C. The sclera and hard palate
D. The skin of the abdomen
Answer: C
Rationale: Jaundice is best observed in the sclera (near the limbus) and the hard palate
where yellowing is more visible than in dark skin.
5. The nurse is grading a patient’s peripheral pulses and notes they are ‘weak
and thready’. What numerical grade is assigned?
A. 1+
B. 0
C. 2+
D. 3+
Answer: A
Rationale: A 1+ pulse is weak and thready, 0 is absent, 2+ is normal, and 3+ is bounding.
, 6. When assessing the eyes, the nurse asks the patient to follow a penlight
through the six cardinal positions of gaze. This tests:
A. Visual acuity
B. Extraocular muscle function
C. Peripheral vision
D. Accommodation
Answer: B
Rationale: The six cardinal positions of gaze test the integrity of the extraocular muscles
and cranial nerves III, IV, and VI.
7. A patient presents with a ‘barrel chest’ appearance. This is typically indicative
of:
A. Pneumonia
B. Pneumothorax
C. Heart failure
D. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Answer: D
Rationale: A barrel chest (increased anteroposterior diameter) results from chronic air
trapping in the alveoli, common in COPD/emphysema.
8. Where is the apical pulse (PMI) typically located in a healthy adult?
A. Second intercostal space, right sternal border
B. Second intercostal space, left sternal border
C. Fifth intercostal space, left midclavicular line
D. Fourth intercostal space, left sternal border
Answer: C
Rationale: The Point of Maximal Impulse (PMI) or apical pulse is located at the 5th
intercostal space at or just medial to the left midclavicular line.
College
1. When assessing a patient’s skin turgor, which area is most reliable for an
elderly patient?
A. The back of the hand
B. The forehead
C. The abdomen
D. The sternum or under the clavicle
Answer: D
Rationale: In older adults, skin on the hands loses elasticity and may stay ‘tented’
regardless of hydration status; the sternum or subclavicular area provides a more accurate
assessment of turgor.
2. Which of the following describes the ‘A’ in the ABCD rule for skin cancer
screening?
A. Acquired
B. Amount
C. Accuracy
D. Asymmetry
Answer: D
Rationale: The ABCD rule stands for Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variation, and
Diameter greater than 6mm.
,3. During a respiratory assessment, the nurse hears high-pitched, musical
sounds primarily during expiration. These are documented as:
A. Crackles
B. Pleural friction rub
C. Wheezes
D. Stridor
Answer: C
Rationale: Wheezes are continuous, musical sounds caused by air flowing through
narrowed or obstructed airways, often seen in asthma.
4. To assess for jaundice in a dark-skinned patient, the nurse should inspect
which area?
A. The nail beds
B. The palms of the hands
C. The sclera and hard palate
D. The skin of the abdomen
Answer: C
Rationale: Jaundice is best observed in the sclera (near the limbus) and the hard palate
where yellowing is more visible than in dark skin.
5. The nurse is grading a patient’s peripheral pulses and notes they are ‘weak
and thready’. What numerical grade is assigned?
A. 1+
B. 0
C. 2+
D. 3+
Answer: A
Rationale: A 1+ pulse is weak and thready, 0 is absent, 2+ is normal, and 3+ is bounding.
, 6. When assessing the eyes, the nurse asks the patient to follow a penlight
through the six cardinal positions of gaze. This tests:
A. Visual acuity
B. Extraocular muscle function
C. Peripheral vision
D. Accommodation
Answer: B
Rationale: The six cardinal positions of gaze test the integrity of the extraocular muscles
and cranial nerves III, IV, and VI.
7. A patient presents with a ‘barrel chest’ appearance. This is typically indicative
of:
A. Pneumonia
B. Pneumothorax
C. Heart failure
D. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Answer: D
Rationale: A barrel chest (increased anteroposterior diameter) results from chronic air
trapping in the alveoli, common in COPD/emphysema.
8. Where is the apical pulse (PMI) typically located in a healthy adult?
A. Second intercostal space, right sternal border
B. Second intercostal space, left sternal border
C. Fifth intercostal space, left midclavicular line
D. Fourth intercostal space, left sternal border
Answer: C
Rationale: The Point of Maximal Impulse (PMI) or apical pulse is located at the 5th
intercostal space at or just medial to the left midclavicular line.
