NR 305 Health Assessment in Nursing Final Exam Practice 2026
|Chamberlain College
1. When performing an abdominal assessment, which is the correct order of
physical examination techniques?
A. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
B. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
C. Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection
D. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
Answer: D
Rationale: Auscultation is performed before percussion and palpation to avoid stimulating
bowel activity, which could provide false findings.
2. Which part of the hand is best used for assessing temperature during a
physical exam?
A. The fingertips
B. The palmar surface
C. The ulnar surface
D. The dorsal surface
Answer: D
Rationale: The dorsal surface (back of the hand) is thinner and more sensitive to
temperature changes than the palms or fingertips.
,3. The nurse is assessing a patient with a history of COPD and notes an
anteroposterior-to-transverse diameter ratio of 1:1. How should this be
documented?
A. Normal chest shape
B. Pectus excavatum
C. Barrel chest
D. Pectus carinatum
Answer: C
Rationale: A 1:1 ratio indicates a barrel chest, often seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease due to hyperinflation of the lungs.
4. A patient reports ‘cracking’ sounds in the ears and difficulty hearing. Upon
inspection, the nurse sees a pearly gray, translucent tympanic membrane with a
visible light reflex. These findings indicate:
A. Normal tympanic membrane
B. Perforated eardrum
C. Acute otitis media
D. Serous otitis media
Answer: A
Rationale: A pearly gray, translucent tympanic membrane with a distinct cone of light is a
normal finding.
5. What is the first step when assessing a patient’s nutritional status?
A. Skinfold thickness measurement
B. 24-hour diet recall
C. Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI)
D. Checking serum albumin levels
Answer: B
, Rationale: Subjective data collection, such as a diet recall, is typically the initial step in a
nutritional screening.
6. During a cardiac assessment, the nurse auscultates the S1 heart sound. What
does this sound represent?
A. Closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves
B. Filling of the ventricles during diastole
C. Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves
D. Atrial contraction at the end of diastole
Answer: C
Rationale: S1 occurs with the closure of the atrioventricular (AV) valves (mitral and
tricuspid) and signals the beginning of systole.
7. The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old patient. Which skin finding is considered
a normal age-related change?
A. Presence of cherry angiomas
B. Increased subcutaneous fat
C. Increased skin elasticity
D. Moist, oily skin texture
Answer: A
Rationale: Cherry angiomas are common, benign skin growths in older adults; decreased
elasticity and thinning skin are also normal aging changes.
8. When assessing for jaundice in a dark-skinned patient, where is the best
location to look?
A. The palms of the hands
B. The abdomen
C. The nail beds
D. The sclera and hard palate
Answer: D
|Chamberlain College
1. When performing an abdominal assessment, which is the correct order of
physical examination techniques?
A. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
B. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
C. Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection
D. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
Answer: D
Rationale: Auscultation is performed before percussion and palpation to avoid stimulating
bowel activity, which could provide false findings.
2. Which part of the hand is best used for assessing temperature during a
physical exam?
A. The fingertips
B. The palmar surface
C. The ulnar surface
D. The dorsal surface
Answer: D
Rationale: The dorsal surface (back of the hand) is thinner and more sensitive to
temperature changes than the palms or fingertips.
,3. The nurse is assessing a patient with a history of COPD and notes an
anteroposterior-to-transverse diameter ratio of 1:1. How should this be
documented?
A. Normal chest shape
B. Pectus excavatum
C. Barrel chest
D. Pectus carinatum
Answer: C
Rationale: A 1:1 ratio indicates a barrel chest, often seen in chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease due to hyperinflation of the lungs.
4. A patient reports ‘cracking’ sounds in the ears and difficulty hearing. Upon
inspection, the nurse sees a pearly gray, translucent tympanic membrane with a
visible light reflex. These findings indicate:
A. Normal tympanic membrane
B. Perforated eardrum
C. Acute otitis media
D. Serous otitis media
Answer: A
Rationale: A pearly gray, translucent tympanic membrane with a distinct cone of light is a
normal finding.
5. What is the first step when assessing a patient’s nutritional status?
A. Skinfold thickness measurement
B. 24-hour diet recall
C. Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI)
D. Checking serum albumin levels
Answer: B
, Rationale: Subjective data collection, such as a diet recall, is typically the initial step in a
nutritional screening.
6. During a cardiac assessment, the nurse auscultates the S1 heart sound. What
does this sound represent?
A. Closure of the aortic and pulmonic valves
B. Filling of the ventricles during diastole
C. Closure of the mitral and tricuspid valves
D. Atrial contraction at the end of diastole
Answer: C
Rationale: S1 occurs with the closure of the atrioventricular (AV) valves (mitral and
tricuspid) and signals the beginning of systole.
7. The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old patient. Which skin finding is considered
a normal age-related change?
A. Presence of cherry angiomas
B. Increased subcutaneous fat
C. Increased skin elasticity
D. Moist, oily skin texture
Answer: A
Rationale: Cherry angiomas are common, benign skin growths in older adults; decreased
elasticity and thinning skin are also normal aging changes.
8. When assessing for jaundice in a dark-skinned patient, where is the best
location to look?
A. The palms of the hands
B. The abdomen
C. The nail beds
D. The sclera and hard palate
Answer: D
