PNE 143 Final Written Exam Questions
With Accurate Answers
The nurse makes which adjustment in the physical environment in order to
promote the success of an interview?
A. Arranges seating across a desk or table to allow the patient some personal
space
B. Provides a dim light that makes a room cozier and will help the patient relax
C. Reduces noise by turning off televisions and radios
D. Reduces the distance between the interviewer and the patient to 2 feet or
less - ANSWER C
The nurse asks, "I would like to ask you some questions about your health and
your usual daily activities so that we can better plan your stay here." This
question is found at the _____ phase of the interview process.
A. closing
B. body
C. opening or introduction
D. summary - ANSWER C
During an interview, the nurse states, "You mentioned shortness of breath. Tell
me more about that." Which verbal skill is used with this statement?
A Facilitation
B Open-ended question
C Direct question
D Reflection - ANSWER B
A patient has finished giving the nurse information about the reason he is
seeking care. When reviewing the data, the nurse finds that some information
about past hospitalizations is missing. At this point, which statement by the
nurse would be most appropriate to gather these data?
A "Mr. Y., at your age, surely you have been hospitalized before!"
B. "Mr. Y., I just need to get some additional information about your past
hospitalizations. When was the last time you were admitted for chest pain?"
C. "Mr. Y., you mentioned that you have been hospitalized on several occasions.
Would you tell me more about that?"
D. "Mr. Y., I just need permission to get your medical records from County
Medical." - ANSWER C
,A man arrives at the clinic for an annual wellness physical. He is experiencing no
acute health problems. Which question or statement by the nurse is most
appropriate when beginning the interview?
A How is your job?"
B How is your family?"
C Tell me about your hypertension."
D. How has your health been since your last visit?" - ANSWER D
A female patient does not speak English well, and the nurse needs to choose an
interpreter. Which of the following would be the most appropriate choice?
A. A female family member
B. A volunteer college student from the foreign C. language studies department
D. A trained interpreter - ANSWER D
During a follow-up visit, the nurse discovers that a patient has not been taking
his insulin on a regular basis. The nurse asks, "Why haven't you taken your
insulin?" Which statement is an appropriate evaluation of this question?
A. It is the best way to discover the reasons for his behavior.
B. It may put the patient on the defensive.
C. It is an innocent search for information.
D. It would have been better to discuss this with his wife. - ANSWER C
The nurse is nearing the end of an interview. Which statement is appropriate at
this time?
A. I need to go on to the next patient. I'll be back."
B. Did we forget something?"
C. Is there anything else you would like to mention?"
D. While I'm here let's talk about your upcoming surgery - ANSWER D
During the interview portion of data collection, the nurse collects _____ data.
A. subjective
B. historical
C. physical
D. objective - ANSWER A
A female nurse is interviewing a male patient who is near the same age as the
nurse. During the interview, the patient makes an overtly sexual comment. The
nurse's best reaction would be:
A. Do you really think I would be interested?"
B. It makes me uncomfortable when you talk that way. Please stop."
C. Oh, you are too funny. Let's keep going with the interview."
D. Stop that immediately!" - ANSWER B
During an examination, the nurse can assess mental status by which activity?
A. Examining the patient's response to a specific set of questions
,B. Examining the patient's electroencephalogram
C. Observing the patient and inferring health or dysfunction
D. Observing the patient as he or she performs an IQ test - ANSWER C
The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. As the nurse begins the mental status
portion of the assessment, the nurse expects that this patient:
A. may take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and abilities
should not have declined.
B. will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this typically
decreases with age.
B. will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response time.
C. will have had a decrease in his response time because of language loss and a
decrease in general knowledge. - ANSWER A
The nurse is preparing to do a mental status examination. Which statement is
true regarding the mental status examination?
A. It is usually necessary to perform a complete mental status examination to
get a good idea of the patient's level of functioning.
B. A patient's family is the best resource for information about the patient's
coping skills.
C. It takes an enormous amount of extra time to integrate the mental status
examination into the health history interview.
D. It is usually sufficient to gather mental status information during the health
history interview. - ANSWER D
A woman brings her husband to the clinic for an examination. She is particularly
worried because after a recent fall, he seems to have lost a great deal of his
memory of recent events. Which statement reflects the nurse's best course of
action? The nurse should:
A. reassure his wife that memory loss after a physical shock is normal and will
subside soon.
B. plan to integrate the mental status examination into the history and physical
examination.
C. refer him to a psychometrician.
D. Perform to perform a complete metal status examination - ANSWER D
The nurse is conducting a patient interview. Which statement made by the
patient should the nurse explore more fully during the interview? The patient
states that he:
A. has no health problems.
B. currently is not taking any medication.
C. never did too good in school."
D. sleeps like a baby." - ANSWER C
, A 19-year-old woman comes to the clinic at the insistence of her brother. She is
wearing black combat boots and a black lace nightgown over the top of her
other clothes. Her hair is dyed pink with black streaks throughout. She has
several pierced holes in her nares and ears and is wearing an earring through
her eyebrow and heavy black makeup. The nurse concludes:
A. she is just trying to shock people and her dress should be ignored.
B. she has manic syndrome because of her abnormal dress and grooming.
C. that more information should be gathered to decide whether her dress is
appropriate.
D. she probably doesn't have any problems at all. - ANSWER C
A patient has been in the intensive care unit for 10 days. He has just been moved
to the medical-surgical unit, and the admitting nurse is planning to perform a
mental status examination on him. During the tests of cognitive function the
nurse would expect that he:
A. may show evidence of some clouding of his level of consciousness.
B. will be oriented to place and person but may not be certain of the date.
C. will state, "I am so relieved to be out of intensive care."
D. may display some disruption in thought content. - ANSWER B
During a mental status assessment, which question by the nurse would best
assess a person's judgment?
A. Tell me about what you plan to do once you are discharged from the
hospital."
B. What does the statement, 'People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones,'
mean to you?"
C. What would you do if you found a stamped, addressed envelope lying on the
sidewalk?"
D. Do you feel that you are being watched, followed, or controlled?" - ANSWER
A
Which of these individuals would the nurse consider at highest risk for a suicide
attempt?
A. Adolescent who has just broken up with her boyfriend and states that she
would like to kill herself
B. Man who jokes about death
C. Woman who, during a past episode of major depression, attempted suicide
D. Elderly man who tells the nurse that he is going to "join his wife in heaven"
tomorrow and plans to use a gun - ANSWER D
The nurse is performing a mental status examination. Which statement is true
regarding the assessment of mental status?
A. Mental status functioning is inferred through assessment of an individual's
behaviors.
With Accurate Answers
The nurse makes which adjustment in the physical environment in order to
promote the success of an interview?
A. Arranges seating across a desk or table to allow the patient some personal
space
B. Provides a dim light that makes a room cozier and will help the patient relax
C. Reduces noise by turning off televisions and radios
D. Reduces the distance between the interviewer and the patient to 2 feet or
less - ANSWER C
The nurse asks, "I would like to ask you some questions about your health and
your usual daily activities so that we can better plan your stay here." This
question is found at the _____ phase of the interview process.
A. closing
B. body
C. opening or introduction
D. summary - ANSWER C
During an interview, the nurse states, "You mentioned shortness of breath. Tell
me more about that." Which verbal skill is used with this statement?
A Facilitation
B Open-ended question
C Direct question
D Reflection - ANSWER B
A patient has finished giving the nurse information about the reason he is
seeking care. When reviewing the data, the nurse finds that some information
about past hospitalizations is missing. At this point, which statement by the
nurse would be most appropriate to gather these data?
A "Mr. Y., at your age, surely you have been hospitalized before!"
B. "Mr. Y., I just need to get some additional information about your past
hospitalizations. When was the last time you were admitted for chest pain?"
C. "Mr. Y., you mentioned that you have been hospitalized on several occasions.
Would you tell me more about that?"
D. "Mr. Y., I just need permission to get your medical records from County
Medical." - ANSWER C
,A man arrives at the clinic for an annual wellness physical. He is experiencing no
acute health problems. Which question or statement by the nurse is most
appropriate when beginning the interview?
A How is your job?"
B How is your family?"
C Tell me about your hypertension."
D. How has your health been since your last visit?" - ANSWER D
A female patient does not speak English well, and the nurse needs to choose an
interpreter. Which of the following would be the most appropriate choice?
A. A female family member
B. A volunteer college student from the foreign C. language studies department
D. A trained interpreter - ANSWER D
During a follow-up visit, the nurse discovers that a patient has not been taking
his insulin on a regular basis. The nurse asks, "Why haven't you taken your
insulin?" Which statement is an appropriate evaluation of this question?
A. It is the best way to discover the reasons for his behavior.
B. It may put the patient on the defensive.
C. It is an innocent search for information.
D. It would have been better to discuss this with his wife. - ANSWER C
The nurse is nearing the end of an interview. Which statement is appropriate at
this time?
A. I need to go on to the next patient. I'll be back."
B. Did we forget something?"
C. Is there anything else you would like to mention?"
D. While I'm here let's talk about your upcoming surgery - ANSWER D
During the interview portion of data collection, the nurse collects _____ data.
A. subjective
B. historical
C. physical
D. objective - ANSWER A
A female nurse is interviewing a male patient who is near the same age as the
nurse. During the interview, the patient makes an overtly sexual comment. The
nurse's best reaction would be:
A. Do you really think I would be interested?"
B. It makes me uncomfortable when you talk that way. Please stop."
C. Oh, you are too funny. Let's keep going with the interview."
D. Stop that immediately!" - ANSWER B
During an examination, the nurse can assess mental status by which activity?
A. Examining the patient's response to a specific set of questions
,B. Examining the patient's electroencephalogram
C. Observing the patient and inferring health or dysfunction
D. Observing the patient as he or she performs an IQ test - ANSWER C
The nurse is assessing a 75-year-old man. As the nurse begins the mental status
portion of the assessment, the nurse expects that this patient:
A. may take a little longer to respond, but his general knowledge and abilities
should not have declined.
B. will have difficulty on tests of remote memory because this typically
decreases with age.
B. will have no decrease in any of his abilities, including response time.
C. will have had a decrease in his response time because of language loss and a
decrease in general knowledge. - ANSWER A
The nurse is preparing to do a mental status examination. Which statement is
true regarding the mental status examination?
A. It is usually necessary to perform a complete mental status examination to
get a good idea of the patient's level of functioning.
B. A patient's family is the best resource for information about the patient's
coping skills.
C. It takes an enormous amount of extra time to integrate the mental status
examination into the health history interview.
D. It is usually sufficient to gather mental status information during the health
history interview. - ANSWER D
A woman brings her husband to the clinic for an examination. She is particularly
worried because after a recent fall, he seems to have lost a great deal of his
memory of recent events. Which statement reflects the nurse's best course of
action? The nurse should:
A. reassure his wife that memory loss after a physical shock is normal and will
subside soon.
B. plan to integrate the mental status examination into the history and physical
examination.
C. refer him to a psychometrician.
D. Perform to perform a complete metal status examination - ANSWER D
The nurse is conducting a patient interview. Which statement made by the
patient should the nurse explore more fully during the interview? The patient
states that he:
A. has no health problems.
B. currently is not taking any medication.
C. never did too good in school."
D. sleeps like a baby." - ANSWER C
, A 19-year-old woman comes to the clinic at the insistence of her brother. She is
wearing black combat boots and a black lace nightgown over the top of her
other clothes. Her hair is dyed pink with black streaks throughout. She has
several pierced holes in her nares and ears and is wearing an earring through
her eyebrow and heavy black makeup. The nurse concludes:
A. she is just trying to shock people and her dress should be ignored.
B. she has manic syndrome because of her abnormal dress and grooming.
C. that more information should be gathered to decide whether her dress is
appropriate.
D. she probably doesn't have any problems at all. - ANSWER C
A patient has been in the intensive care unit for 10 days. He has just been moved
to the medical-surgical unit, and the admitting nurse is planning to perform a
mental status examination on him. During the tests of cognitive function the
nurse would expect that he:
A. may show evidence of some clouding of his level of consciousness.
B. will be oriented to place and person but may not be certain of the date.
C. will state, "I am so relieved to be out of intensive care."
D. may display some disruption in thought content. - ANSWER B
During a mental status assessment, which question by the nurse would best
assess a person's judgment?
A. Tell me about what you plan to do once you are discharged from the
hospital."
B. What does the statement, 'People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones,'
mean to you?"
C. What would you do if you found a stamped, addressed envelope lying on the
sidewalk?"
D. Do you feel that you are being watched, followed, or controlled?" - ANSWER
A
Which of these individuals would the nurse consider at highest risk for a suicide
attempt?
A. Adolescent who has just broken up with her boyfriend and states that she
would like to kill herself
B. Man who jokes about death
C. Woman who, during a past episode of major depression, attempted suicide
D. Elderly man who tells the nurse that he is going to "join his wife in heaven"
tomorrow and plans to use a gun - ANSWER D
The nurse is performing a mental status examination. Which statement is true
regarding the assessment of mental status?
A. Mental status functioning is inferred through assessment of an individual's
behaviors.
