BATES' GUIDE TO PHYSICAL
EXAMINATION AND HISTORY TAKING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
VERIFIED.
After completing an initial assessment of a patient, the nurse has charted that his respirations
are eupneic and his pulse is 58 beats per minute. These types of data would be:
a Objective.
b Reflective.
c Subjective.
d Introspective - ANS A
Objective data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating,
and auscultating during the physical examination. Subjective data is what
the person says about him or herself during history taking. The terms reflective and
introspective are not used to describe data.
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 - ANS C
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 1 OF 33
,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 - ANS 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. - ANS 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:
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 2 OF 33
,a Intuition.
b A set of rules.
c Articles in journals.
d Advice from supervisors. - ANS 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. - ANS 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. - ANS C
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 3 OF 33
, 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
c Individual with a small laceration on the sole
of the foot
d Individual with shortness of breath and
respiratory distress - ANS D
First-level priority problems are those that are emergent, life threatening, and immediate (e.g.,
establishing an airway, supporting breathing, maintaining circulation, monitoring abnormal vital
signs)
When considering priority setting of problems, the nurse keeps in mind that second-level
priority problems include which of these aspects?
a Low self-esteem
b Lack of knowledge
c Abnormal laboratory values
d Severely abnormal vital signs - ANS C
Second-level priority problems are those that require prompt intervention to forestall further
deterioration (e.g., mental status change, acute pain, abnormal laboratory values, risks to safety
or security)
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 4 OF 33
EXAMINATION AND HISTORY TAKING
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026
VERIFIED.
After completing an initial assessment of a patient, the nurse has charted that his respirations
are eupneic and his pulse is 58 beats per minute. These types of data would be:
a Objective.
b Reflective.
c Subjective.
d Introspective - ANS A
Objective data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating,
and auscultating during the physical examination. Subjective data is what
the person says about him or herself during history taking. The terms reflective and
introspective are not used to describe data.
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 - ANS C
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 1 OF 33
,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 - ANS 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. - ANS 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:
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 2 OF 33
,a Intuition.
b A set of rules.
c Articles in journals.
d Advice from supervisors. - ANS 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. - ANS 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. - ANS C
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 3 OF 33
, 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
c Individual with a small laceration on the sole
of the foot
d Individual with shortness of breath and
respiratory distress - ANS D
First-level priority problems are those that are emergent, life threatening, and immediate (e.g.,
establishing an airway, supporting breathing, maintaining circulation, monitoring abnormal vital
signs)
When considering priority setting of problems, the nurse keeps in mind that second-level
priority problems include which of these aspects?
a Low self-esteem
b Lack of knowledge
c Abnormal laboratory values
d Severely abnormal vital signs - ANS C
Second-level priority problems are those that require prompt intervention to forestall further
deterioration (e.g., mental status change, acute pain, abnormal laboratory values, risks to safety
or security)
@COPYRIGHT ALL RIGHTS RESERVED PAGE 4 OF 33
