HERZING UNIVERSITY HEALTH ASSESSMENT FUNDAMENTALS EXAM 2026 WITH
100% ACCURATE ANSWERS
Section 1: Health History & Communication (1–15)
1. A nurse asks a patient, “Tell me about your pain.” This is an example of which
type of question?
A) Closed‑ended
B) Leading
C) Open‑ended
D) Directive
Answer: C) Open‑ended
Rationale: Open-ended questions allow patients to describe symptoms in their
own words, providing richer detail than yes/no answers.
2. During a health history, the patient reports “feeling tired all the time.” The
nurse should first:
A) Suggest a sleep aid
B) Ask about sleep patterns and duration
,C) Document as “fatigue” and move on
D) Refer to a sleep specialist
Answer: B) Ask about sleep patterns and duration
Rationale: The nurse must explore the symptom further (onset, severity,
associated factors) before drawing conclusions or making referrals.
3. Which technique best demonstrates active listening?
A) Interrupting to clarify a detail
B) Nodding and summarizing what the patient said
C) Taking notes without eye contact
D) Asking multiple closed‑ended questions in a row
Answer: B) Nodding and summarizing what the patient said
Rationale: Active listening involves verbal and non‑verbal feedback showing
engagement, understanding, and validation.
4. A patient avoids eye contact and answers in short sentences. Cultural
considerations suggest the nurse should:
A) Assume the patient is hiding information
,B) Document “non‑cooperative”
C) Ask directly, “Why won’t you look at me?”
D) Recognize that eye contact norms vary across cultures
Answer: D) Recognize that eye contact norms vary across cultures
Rationale: In some cultures, direct eye contact is disrespectful or uncomfortable;
the nurse should avoid misinterpreting this as deception.
5. The “OLDCARTS” mnemonic is used to assess:
A) Mental status
B) Pain or symptoms
C) Vital signs
D) Family history
Answer: B) Pain or symptoms
Rationale: OLDCARTS = Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating/Relieving factors, Timing, Severity.
6. When documenting a patient’s chief complaint, the nurse should:
A) Use medical jargon
, B) Write the patient’s exact words in quotation marks
C) Paraphrase to save space
D) Omit irrelevant details
Answer: B) Write the patient’s exact words in quotation marks
Rationale: The chief complaint is a direct quote to preserve accuracy and avoid
interpretation bias.
7. A patient states, “I have no health problems,” but takes metformin daily. The
nurse should:
A) Accept the statement without question
B) Ask, “What is the metformin for?”
C) Report non‑adherence to the provider
D) Ignore the medication
Answer: B) Ask, “What is the metformin for?”
Rationale: The nurse must clarify inconsistencies non‑judgmentally to obtain an
accurate health history.
8. Which question is most therapeutic when a patient is angry?
100% ACCURATE ANSWERS
Section 1: Health History & Communication (1–15)
1. A nurse asks a patient, “Tell me about your pain.” This is an example of which
type of question?
A) Closed‑ended
B) Leading
C) Open‑ended
D) Directive
Answer: C) Open‑ended
Rationale: Open-ended questions allow patients to describe symptoms in their
own words, providing richer detail than yes/no answers.
2. During a health history, the patient reports “feeling tired all the time.” The
nurse should first:
A) Suggest a sleep aid
B) Ask about sleep patterns and duration
,C) Document as “fatigue” and move on
D) Refer to a sleep specialist
Answer: B) Ask about sleep patterns and duration
Rationale: The nurse must explore the symptom further (onset, severity,
associated factors) before drawing conclusions or making referrals.
3. Which technique best demonstrates active listening?
A) Interrupting to clarify a detail
B) Nodding and summarizing what the patient said
C) Taking notes without eye contact
D) Asking multiple closed‑ended questions in a row
Answer: B) Nodding and summarizing what the patient said
Rationale: Active listening involves verbal and non‑verbal feedback showing
engagement, understanding, and validation.
4. A patient avoids eye contact and answers in short sentences. Cultural
considerations suggest the nurse should:
A) Assume the patient is hiding information
,B) Document “non‑cooperative”
C) Ask directly, “Why won’t you look at me?”
D) Recognize that eye contact norms vary across cultures
Answer: D) Recognize that eye contact norms vary across cultures
Rationale: In some cultures, direct eye contact is disrespectful or uncomfortable;
the nurse should avoid misinterpreting this as deception.
5. The “OLDCARTS” mnemonic is used to assess:
A) Mental status
B) Pain or symptoms
C) Vital signs
D) Family history
Answer: B) Pain or symptoms
Rationale: OLDCARTS = Onset, Location, Duration, Character,
Aggravating/Relieving factors, Timing, Severity.
6. When documenting a patient’s chief complaint, the nurse should:
A) Use medical jargon
, B) Write the patient’s exact words in quotation marks
C) Paraphrase to save space
D) Omit irrelevant details
Answer: B) Write the patient’s exact words in quotation marks
Rationale: The chief complaint is a direct quote to preserve accuracy and avoid
interpretation bias.
7. A patient states, “I have no health problems,” but takes metformin daily. The
nurse should:
A) Accept the statement without question
B) Ask, “What is the metformin for?”
C) Report non‑adherence to the provider
D) Ignore the medication
Answer: B) Ask, “What is the metformin for?”
Rationale: The nurse must clarify inconsistencies non‑judgmentally to obtain an
accurate health history.
8. Which question is most therapeutic when a patient is angry?
