NR 305 Health Assessment Week 3: Skin, Hair, Nails, Head, and Neck
2026 |Chamberlain College
1. When performing a physical examination, which technique should the nurse
always perform first?
A. Palpation
B. Inspection
C. Percussion
D. Auscultation
Answer: B
Rationale: Inspection is always the first step in the physical assessment of any body
system to gather visual data before touching the patient.
2. The nurse is assessing a patient’s abdomen. In what order should the nurse
perform the assessment techniques?
A. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
B. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
C. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
D. Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation
Answer: C
Rationale: For the abdomen, auscultation is performed before percussion and palpation to
prevent bowel sounds from being altered by physical manipulation.
,3. Which part of the hand is best suited for assessing the patient’s skin
temperature?
A. Fingertips
B. Ulnar surface
C. Palmar surface
D. 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.
4. A nurse uses the bell of the stethoscope during an assessment. Which sounds
is the nurse listening for?
A. High-pitched sounds like breath sounds
B. Normal heart sounds S1 and S2
C. Low-pitched sounds like heart murmurs or bruits
D. Bowel sounds
Answer: C
Rationale: The bell of the stethoscope is used for low-pitched sounds, while the diaphragm
is used for high-pitched sounds.
5. When assessing for skin turgor in an adult, where should the nurse pinch the
skin?
A. The back of the hand
B. The abdomen
C. Over the sternum or under the clavicle
D. The forearm
Answer: C
Rationale: In adults, the sternum or subclavicular area is the most reliable site to assess
for skin turgor and dehydration status.
, 6. The nurse notes a patient’s skin is yellowish in the sclera and hard palate. This
finding is known as:
A. Pallor
B. Cyanosis
C. Jaundice
D. Erythema
Answer: C
Rationale: Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, often first visible in
the junction of the hard and soft palate and the sclera.
7. Which assessment finding is indicative of chronic hypoxia in a patient with
respiratory disease?
A. Cyanosis of the lips
B. Clubbing of the nails
C. Capillary refill of 2 seconds
D. Thin, brittle nails
Answer: B
Rationale: Clubbing (straightening of the nail angle to 180 degrees or more) is a sign of
chronic hypoxia common in COPD and congenital heart disease.
8. What does the ‘E’ in the ABCDE rule for skin cancer assessment stand for?
A. Elevation
B. Erythema
C. Exudate
D. Evolution or Enlargement
Answer: D
Rationale: The ABCDE rule for melanoma is Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color
variation, Diameter greater than 6mm, and Evolution or change over time.
2026 |Chamberlain College
1. When performing a physical examination, which technique should the nurse
always perform first?
A. Palpation
B. Inspection
C. Percussion
D. Auscultation
Answer: B
Rationale: Inspection is always the first step in the physical assessment of any body
system to gather visual data before touching the patient.
2. The nurse is assessing a patient’s abdomen. In what order should the nurse
perform the assessment techniques?
A. Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation, Percussion
B. Inspection, Palpation, Percussion, Auscultation
C. Inspection, Auscultation, Percussion, Palpation
D. Percussion, Auscultation, Inspection, Palpation
Answer: C
Rationale: For the abdomen, auscultation is performed before percussion and palpation to
prevent bowel sounds from being altered by physical manipulation.
,3. Which part of the hand is best suited for assessing the patient’s skin
temperature?
A. Fingertips
B. Ulnar surface
C. Palmar surface
D. 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.
4. A nurse uses the bell of the stethoscope during an assessment. Which sounds
is the nurse listening for?
A. High-pitched sounds like breath sounds
B. Normal heart sounds S1 and S2
C. Low-pitched sounds like heart murmurs or bruits
D. Bowel sounds
Answer: C
Rationale: The bell of the stethoscope is used for low-pitched sounds, while the diaphragm
is used for high-pitched sounds.
5. When assessing for skin turgor in an adult, where should the nurse pinch the
skin?
A. The back of the hand
B. The abdomen
C. Over the sternum or under the clavicle
D. The forearm
Answer: C
Rationale: In adults, the sternum or subclavicular area is the most reliable site to assess
for skin turgor and dehydration status.
, 6. The nurse notes a patient’s skin is yellowish in the sclera and hard palate. This
finding is known as:
A. Pallor
B. Cyanosis
C. Jaundice
D. Erythema
Answer: C
Rationale: Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes, often first visible in
the junction of the hard and soft palate and the sclera.
7. Which assessment finding is indicative of chronic hypoxia in a patient with
respiratory disease?
A. Cyanosis of the lips
B. Clubbing of the nails
C. Capillary refill of 2 seconds
D. Thin, brittle nails
Answer: B
Rationale: Clubbing (straightening of the nail angle to 180 degrees or more) is a sign of
chronic hypoxia common in COPD and congenital heart disease.
8. What does the ‘E’ in the ABCDE rule for skin cancer assessment stand for?
A. Elevation
B. Erythema
C. Exudate
D. Evolution or Enlargement
Answer: D
Rationale: The ABCDE rule for melanoma is Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color
variation, Diameter greater than 6mm, and Evolution or change over time.
