NURS 6512N Advanced Health Assessment & Diagnostic
Reasoning Chapter 12 Prep Exam 2026/2027 Latest Updates
Mrs. T. comes for her regular visit to the clinic. She is on your schedule because
her regular provider is on vacation and she wanted to be seen. You have heard
about her many times from your colleague and are aware that she is a very
talkative person. Which of the following is a helpful technique to improve the
quality of the interview for both the provider and the patient?
A) Allow the patient to speak uninterrupted for the duration of the appointment.
B) Briefly summarize what you heard from the patient in the first 5 minutes and
then try to have her focus on one aspect of what she told you.
C) Set the time limit at the beginning of the interview and stick with it, no matter
what occurs in the course of the interview.
D) Allow your impatience to show so that the patient picks up on your nonverbal
cue that the appointment needs to end. - ANSWER//B) briefly summarize what you
heard from the patient in the first 5 minutes and then try to have her focus on one
aspect of what she told you
Mrs. H. comes to your clinic, wanting antibiotics for a sinus infection. When you
enter the room, she appears to be very angry. She has a raised tone of voice and
states that she has been waiting for the past hour and has to get back to work.
She states that she is unimpressed by the reception staff, the nurse, and the
clinic in general and wants to know why the office wouldn't call in an antibiotic for
her. Which of the following techniques is not useful in helping to calm this patient?
A) Avoiding admission that you had a part in provoking her anger because you
were late
B) Accepting angry feelings from the patient and trying not to get angry in return
C) Staying calm
D) Keeping your posture relaxed - ANSWER//A) avoiding admission that you had
a part in provoking her anger because you were late
A 23-year-old graduate student comes to your clinic for evaluation of a urethral
discharge. As the provider, you need to get a sexual history. Which one of the
following questions is inappropriate for eliciting the information?
,A) Are you sexually active?
B) When was the last time you had intimate physical contact with someone, and
did that contact include sexual intercourse?
C) Do you have sex with men, women, or both?
D) How many sexual partners have you had in the last 6 months? - ANSWER//A)
are you sexually active?
the question is too vague
Mr. Q. is a 45-year-old salesman who comes to your office for evaluation of
fatigue. He has come to the office many times in the past with a variety of injuries,
and you suspect that he has a problem with alcohol. Which one of the following
questions will be most helpful in diagnosing this problem?
A) You are an alcoholic, aren't you?
B) When was your last drink?
C) Do you drink 2 to 3 beers every weekend?
D) Do you drink alcohol when you are supposed to be working? - ANSWER//B)
when was your last drink?
On a very busy day in the office, Mrs. Donelan, who is 81 years old, comes for her
usual visit for her blood pressure. She is on a low-dose diuretic chronically and
denies any side effects. Her blood pressure is 118/78 today, which is well-
controlled. As you are writing her script, she mentions that it is hard not having
her husband Bill around anymore. What would you do next?
A) Hand her the script and make sure she has a 3-month follow-up appointment.
B) Make sure she understands the script.
C) Ask why Bill is not there.
D) Explain that you will have more time at the next visit to discuss this. -
ANSWER//C) ask why bill is not there?
patient is looking for support and empathy
A patient is describing a very personal part of her history very quickly and in
great detail. How should you react to this?
A) Write down as much as you can, as quickly as possible.
B) Ask her to repeat key phrases or to pause at regular intervals, so you can get
almost every word.
C) Tell her that she can go over the notes later to make sure they are accurate.
D) Push away from the keyboard or put down your pen and listen. - ANSWER//D)
push away from the keyboard and put down your pen and listen
You arrive at the bedside of an elderly woman who has had a stroke, affecting her
entire right side. She cannot speak (aphasia). You are supposed to examine her.
You notice that the last examiner left her socks at the bottom of the bed, and
although sensitive areas are covered by a sheet, the blanket is heaped by her feet
at the bottom of the bed. What would you do next?
,A) Carry out your examination, focusing on the neurologic portion, and then
cover her properly.
B) Carry out your examination and let the nurse assigned to her "put her back
together."
C) Put her socks back on and cover her completely before beginning the
evaluation.
D) Apologize for the last examiner but let the next examiner dress and cover her. -
ANSWER//C) put her socks back on and cover her completely before beginning
the evaluation
*make patient comfortable before examining*
When you enter your patient's examination room, his wife is waiting there with
him. Which of the following is most appropriate?
A) Ask if it's okay to carry out the visit with both people in the room.
B) Carry on as you would ordinarily. The permission is implied because his wife
is in the room with him.
C) Ask his wife to leave the room for reasons of confidentiality.
D) First ask his wife what she thinks is going on. - ANSWER//A) ask if it's okay to
carry out the visit with both people in the room
A patient complains of knee pain on your arrival in the room. What should your
first sentence be after greeting the patient?
A) How much pain are you having?
B) Have you injured this knee in the past?
C) When did this first occur?
D) Could you please describe what happened? - ANSWER//D) could you please
describe what happened
You have just asked a patient how he feels about his emphysema. He becomes
silent, folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his chair, and then
replies, "It is what it is." How should you respond?
A) "You seem bothered by this question."
B) "Next, I would like to talk with you about your smoking habit."
C) "Okay, let's move on to your other problems."
D) "You have adopted a practical attitude toward your problem." - ANSWER//A)
you seem bothered by this question
A patient tells you about her experience with prolonged therapy for her breast
cancer. You comment, "That must have been a very trying time for you." What is
this an example of?
A) Reassurance
B) Empathy
C) Summarization
D) Validation - ANSWER//D) validation
You are performing a young woman's first pelvic examination. You make sure to
tell her verbally what is coming next and what to expect. Then you carry out each
maneuver of the examination. You let her know at the outset that if she needs a
break or wants to stop, this is possible. You ask several times during the
examination, "How are you doing, Brittney?" What are you accomplishing with
, these techniques?
A) Increasing the patient's sense of control
B) Increasing the patient's trust in you as a caregiver
C) Decreasing her sense of vulnerability
D) All of the above - ANSWER//D) all of the above
When using an interpreter to facilitate an interview, where should the interpreter
be positioned?
A) Behind you, the examiner, so that the lips of the patient and the patient's
nonverbal cues can be seen
B) Next to the patient, so the examiner can maintain eye contact and observe the
nonverbal cues of the patient
C) Between you and the patient so all parties can make the necessary
observations
D) In a corner of the room so as to provide minimal distraction to the interview -
ANSWER//B) next to the patient , so that the examiner can maintain eye contact
and observe non verbal cues of the patient
A 15-year-old high school sophomore and her mother come to your clinic
because the mother is concerned about her daughter's weight. You measure her
daughter's height and weight and obtain a BMI of 19.5 kg/m2. Based on this
information, which of the following is appropriate?
A) Refer the patient to a nutritionist and a psychologist because the patient is
anorexic.
B) Reassure the mother that this is a normal body weight.
C) Give the patient information about exercise because the patient is obese.
D) Give the patient information concerning reduction of fat and cholesterol in her
diet because she is obese. - ANSWER//B) reassure the mother that this is a
normal body weight
normal BMI is 18.5-24.9
A 25-year-old radio announcer comes to the clinic for an annual examination. His
BMI is 26.0 kg/m2. He is concerned about his weight. Based on this information,
what is appropriate counsel for the patient during the visit?
1. Refer the patient to a nutr
2. For which of the following patients would a comprehensive health history be
appropriate?
A) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I sprained my ankle"
B) An established patient with the chief complaint of "I have an upper respiratory
infection"
C) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I am here to establish care"
D) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I cut my hand" - ANSWER//c) a new
patient with the CC of "I am here to establish care"
the patient is new to the provider so a comprehensive health history is needed
3. The components of the health history include all of the following except which
Reasoning Chapter 12 Prep Exam 2026/2027 Latest Updates
Mrs. T. comes for her regular visit to the clinic. She is on your schedule because
her regular provider is on vacation and she wanted to be seen. You have heard
about her many times from your colleague and are aware that she is a very
talkative person. Which of the following is a helpful technique to improve the
quality of the interview for both the provider and the patient?
A) Allow the patient to speak uninterrupted for the duration of the appointment.
B) Briefly summarize what you heard from the patient in the first 5 minutes and
then try to have her focus on one aspect of what she told you.
C) Set the time limit at the beginning of the interview and stick with it, no matter
what occurs in the course of the interview.
D) Allow your impatience to show so that the patient picks up on your nonverbal
cue that the appointment needs to end. - ANSWER//B) briefly summarize what you
heard from the patient in the first 5 minutes and then try to have her focus on one
aspect of what she told you
Mrs. H. comes to your clinic, wanting antibiotics for a sinus infection. When you
enter the room, she appears to be very angry. She has a raised tone of voice and
states that she has been waiting for the past hour and has to get back to work.
She states that she is unimpressed by the reception staff, the nurse, and the
clinic in general and wants to know why the office wouldn't call in an antibiotic for
her. Which of the following techniques is not useful in helping to calm this patient?
A) Avoiding admission that you had a part in provoking her anger because you
were late
B) Accepting angry feelings from the patient and trying not to get angry in return
C) Staying calm
D) Keeping your posture relaxed - ANSWER//A) avoiding admission that you had
a part in provoking her anger because you were late
A 23-year-old graduate student comes to your clinic for evaluation of a urethral
discharge. As the provider, you need to get a sexual history. Which one of the
following questions is inappropriate for eliciting the information?
,A) Are you sexually active?
B) When was the last time you had intimate physical contact with someone, and
did that contact include sexual intercourse?
C) Do you have sex with men, women, or both?
D) How many sexual partners have you had in the last 6 months? - ANSWER//A)
are you sexually active?
the question is too vague
Mr. Q. is a 45-year-old salesman who comes to your office for evaluation of
fatigue. He has come to the office many times in the past with a variety of injuries,
and you suspect that he has a problem with alcohol. Which one of the following
questions will be most helpful in diagnosing this problem?
A) You are an alcoholic, aren't you?
B) When was your last drink?
C) Do you drink 2 to 3 beers every weekend?
D) Do you drink alcohol when you are supposed to be working? - ANSWER//B)
when was your last drink?
On a very busy day in the office, Mrs. Donelan, who is 81 years old, comes for her
usual visit for her blood pressure. She is on a low-dose diuretic chronically and
denies any side effects. Her blood pressure is 118/78 today, which is well-
controlled. As you are writing her script, she mentions that it is hard not having
her husband Bill around anymore. What would you do next?
A) Hand her the script and make sure she has a 3-month follow-up appointment.
B) Make sure she understands the script.
C) Ask why Bill is not there.
D) Explain that you will have more time at the next visit to discuss this. -
ANSWER//C) ask why bill is not there?
patient is looking for support and empathy
A patient is describing a very personal part of her history very quickly and in
great detail. How should you react to this?
A) Write down as much as you can, as quickly as possible.
B) Ask her to repeat key phrases or to pause at regular intervals, so you can get
almost every word.
C) Tell her that she can go over the notes later to make sure they are accurate.
D) Push away from the keyboard or put down your pen and listen. - ANSWER//D)
push away from the keyboard and put down your pen and listen
You arrive at the bedside of an elderly woman who has had a stroke, affecting her
entire right side. She cannot speak (aphasia). You are supposed to examine her.
You notice that the last examiner left her socks at the bottom of the bed, and
although sensitive areas are covered by a sheet, the blanket is heaped by her feet
at the bottom of the bed. What would you do next?
,A) Carry out your examination, focusing on the neurologic portion, and then
cover her properly.
B) Carry out your examination and let the nurse assigned to her "put her back
together."
C) Put her socks back on and cover her completely before beginning the
evaluation.
D) Apologize for the last examiner but let the next examiner dress and cover her. -
ANSWER//C) put her socks back on and cover her completely before beginning
the evaluation
*make patient comfortable before examining*
When you enter your patient's examination room, his wife is waiting there with
him. Which of the following is most appropriate?
A) Ask if it's okay to carry out the visit with both people in the room.
B) Carry on as you would ordinarily. The permission is implied because his wife
is in the room with him.
C) Ask his wife to leave the room for reasons of confidentiality.
D) First ask his wife what she thinks is going on. - ANSWER//A) ask if it's okay to
carry out the visit with both people in the room
A patient complains of knee pain on your arrival in the room. What should your
first sentence be after greeting the patient?
A) How much pain are you having?
B) Have you injured this knee in the past?
C) When did this first occur?
D) Could you please describe what happened? - ANSWER//D) could you please
describe what happened
You have just asked a patient how he feels about his emphysema. He becomes
silent, folds his arms across his chest and leans back in his chair, and then
replies, "It is what it is." How should you respond?
A) "You seem bothered by this question."
B) "Next, I would like to talk with you about your smoking habit."
C) "Okay, let's move on to your other problems."
D) "You have adopted a practical attitude toward your problem." - ANSWER//A)
you seem bothered by this question
A patient tells you about her experience with prolonged therapy for her breast
cancer. You comment, "That must have been a very trying time for you." What is
this an example of?
A) Reassurance
B) Empathy
C) Summarization
D) Validation - ANSWER//D) validation
You are performing a young woman's first pelvic examination. You make sure to
tell her verbally what is coming next and what to expect. Then you carry out each
maneuver of the examination. You let her know at the outset that if she needs a
break or wants to stop, this is possible. You ask several times during the
examination, "How are you doing, Brittney?" What are you accomplishing with
, these techniques?
A) Increasing the patient's sense of control
B) Increasing the patient's trust in you as a caregiver
C) Decreasing her sense of vulnerability
D) All of the above - ANSWER//D) all of the above
When using an interpreter to facilitate an interview, where should the interpreter
be positioned?
A) Behind you, the examiner, so that the lips of the patient and the patient's
nonverbal cues can be seen
B) Next to the patient, so the examiner can maintain eye contact and observe the
nonverbal cues of the patient
C) Between you and the patient so all parties can make the necessary
observations
D) In a corner of the room so as to provide minimal distraction to the interview -
ANSWER//B) next to the patient , so that the examiner can maintain eye contact
and observe non verbal cues of the patient
A 15-year-old high school sophomore and her mother come to your clinic
because the mother is concerned about her daughter's weight. You measure her
daughter's height and weight and obtain a BMI of 19.5 kg/m2. Based on this
information, which of the following is appropriate?
A) Refer the patient to a nutritionist and a psychologist because the patient is
anorexic.
B) Reassure the mother that this is a normal body weight.
C) Give the patient information about exercise because the patient is obese.
D) Give the patient information concerning reduction of fat and cholesterol in her
diet because she is obese. - ANSWER//B) reassure the mother that this is a
normal body weight
normal BMI is 18.5-24.9
A 25-year-old radio announcer comes to the clinic for an annual examination. His
BMI is 26.0 kg/m2. He is concerned about his weight. Based on this information,
what is appropriate counsel for the patient during the visit?
1. Refer the patient to a nutr
2. For which of the following patients would a comprehensive health history be
appropriate?
A) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I sprained my ankle"
B) An established patient with the chief complaint of "I have an upper respiratory
infection"
C) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I am here to establish care"
D) A new patient with the chief complaint of "I cut my hand" - ANSWER//c) a new
patient with the CC of "I am here to establish care"
the patient is new to the provider so a comprehensive health history is needed
3. The components of the health history include all of the following except which
