BATES GUIDE TO PHYSICAL EXAMINATION
AND HISTORY TAKING REVISION HANDBOOK
2026 NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PHYSICAL
FINDINGS
◉ A patient tells the nurse that he is very nervous, is nauseated, and
feels hot. These types of data would be:
a Objective.
b Reflective.
c Subjective.
d Introspective.
Answer: C
Subjective data are what the person says about him or herself during
history taking. Objective data are what the health professional
observes by inspecting, percussing,
palpating, and auscultating during the physical examination. The
terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
◉ The patients record, laboratory studies, objective data, and
subjective data combine to form the:
a Data base.
b Admitting data.
,c Financial statement.
d Discharge summary.
Answer: A
Together with the patients record and laboratory studies, the
objective and subjective data form the data base. The other items are
not part of the patients record, laboratory studies, or data.
◉ When listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse is unsure of
a sound that is heard. The nurses next action should be to:
a Immediately notify the patients physician.
b Document the sound exactly as it was heard.
c Validate the data by asking a coworker to
listen to the breath sounds.
d Assess again in 20 minutes to note whether
the sound is still present..
Answer: C
When unsure of a sound heard while listening to a patients breath
sounds, the nurse validates the data to ensure accuracy. If the nurse
has less experience in an area, then he or she asks an expert to
listen.
◉ The nurse is conducting a class for new graduate nurses. During
the teaching session, the nurse should keep in mind that novice
,nurses, without a background of skills and experience from which to
draw, are more likely to make their decisions using:
a Intuition.
b A set of rules.
c Articles in journals.
d Advice from supervisors..
Answer: B
Novice nurses operate from a set of defined, structured rules. The
expert practitioner
uses intuitive links.
◉ Expert nurses learn to attend to a pattern of assessment data and
act without consciously labeling it. These responses are referred to
as:
a Intuition.
b The nursing process.
c Clinical knowledge.
d Diagnostic reasoning..
Answer: A
Intuition is characterized by pattern recognition expert nurses learn
to attend to a pattern of assessment data and act without
consciously labeling it. The other options are not correct.
, ◉ The nurse is reviewing information about evidence-based practice
(EBP). Which statement best reflects EBP?
a EBP relies on tradition for support of best
practices.
b EBP is simply the use of best practice
techniques for the treatment of patients
c EBP emphasizes the use of best evidence
with the clinicians experience.
d The patients own preferences are not
important with EBP..
Answer: C
EBP is a systematic approach to practice that emphasizes the use of
best evidence in combination with the clinicians experience, as well
as patient preferences and values, when making decisions about
care and treatment. EBP is more than simply using the best practice
techniques to treat patients, and questioning tradition is important
when no compelling and supportive research evidence exists.
◉ The nurse is conducting a class on priority setting for a group of
new graduate nurses. Which is an example of a first-level priority
problem?
a Patient with postoperative pain
b Newly diagnosed patient with diabetes who
needs diabetic teaching
AND HISTORY TAKING REVISION HANDBOOK
2026 NORMAL AND ABNORMAL PHYSICAL
FINDINGS
◉ A patient tells the nurse that he is very nervous, is nauseated, and
feels hot. These types of data would be:
a Objective.
b Reflective.
c Subjective.
d Introspective.
Answer: C
Subjective data are what the person says about him or herself during
history taking. Objective data are what the health professional
observes by inspecting, percussing,
palpating, and auscultating during the physical examination. The
terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
◉ The patients record, laboratory studies, objective data, and
subjective data combine to form the:
a Data base.
b Admitting data.
,c Financial statement.
d Discharge summary.
Answer: A
Together with the patients record and laboratory studies, the
objective and subjective data form the data base. The other items are
not part of the patients record, laboratory studies, or data.
◉ When listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse is unsure of
a sound that is heard. The nurses next action should be to:
a Immediately notify the patients physician.
b Document the sound exactly as it was heard.
c Validate the data by asking a coworker to
listen to the breath sounds.
d Assess again in 20 minutes to note whether
the sound is still present..
Answer: C
When unsure of a sound heard while listening to a patients breath
sounds, the nurse validates the data to ensure accuracy. If the nurse
has less experience in an area, then he or she asks an expert to
listen.
◉ The nurse is conducting a class for new graduate nurses. During
the teaching session, the nurse should keep in mind that novice
,nurses, without a background of skills and experience from which to
draw, are more likely to make their decisions using:
a Intuition.
b A set of rules.
c Articles in journals.
d Advice from supervisors..
Answer: B
Novice nurses operate from a set of defined, structured rules. The
expert practitioner
uses intuitive links.
◉ Expert nurses learn to attend to a pattern of assessment data and
act without consciously labeling it. These responses are referred to
as:
a Intuition.
b The nursing process.
c Clinical knowledge.
d Diagnostic reasoning..
Answer: A
Intuition is characterized by pattern recognition expert nurses learn
to attend to a pattern of assessment data and act without
consciously labeling it. The other options are not correct.
, ◉ The nurse is reviewing information about evidence-based practice
(EBP). Which statement best reflects EBP?
a EBP relies on tradition for support of best
practices.
b EBP is simply the use of best practice
techniques for the treatment of patients
c EBP emphasizes the use of best evidence
with the clinicians experience.
d The patients own preferences are not
important with EBP..
Answer: C
EBP is a systematic approach to practice that emphasizes the use of
best evidence in combination with the clinicians experience, as well
as patient preferences and values, when making decisions about
care and treatment. EBP is more than simply using the best practice
techniques to treat patients, and questioning tradition is important
when no compelling and supportive research evidence exists.
◉ The nurse is conducting a class on priority setting for a group of
new graduate nurses. Which is an example of a first-level priority
problem?
a Patient with postoperative pain
b Newly diagnosed patient with diabetes who
needs diabetic teaching
