NU 518 Health Assessment Exam 1 – All Questions
with Verified Correct Answers & Rationales (Latest
Update 2026) - Already Graded A+
Question 1
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"
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A comprehensive health history is indicated for new patients establishing care to
obtain a complete baseline. Focused histories are appropriate for acute, isolated problems like
sprains, infections, or cuts.
Question 2
The components of the health history include all of the following except which one?
A) Review of systems
B) Thorax and lungs
C) Present illness
D) Personal and social items
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Thorax and lungs are part of the physical examination, not the health history. The
health history includes chief complaint, present illness, review of systems, past medical history,
family history, and personal/social history.
Question 3
Is the following information subjective or objective? "Mr. M. has shortness of breath that has
persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity and relieved by rest."
A) Subjective
B) Objective
Page | 1
,Correct answer: A
Rationale: Subjective data are what the patient reports. Shortness of breath is a symptom felt
and described by the patient, not measured by the examiner.
Question 4
Is the following information subjective or objective? "Mr. M. has a respiratory rate of 32 and a
pulse rate of 120."
A) Subjective
B) Objective
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Objective data are measured and observed by the examiner. Respiratory rate and
pulse rate are vital signs obtained through direct measurement.
Question 5
The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient has had abdominal pain
for 1 week. The pain lasts for 30 minutes at a time; it comes and goes. The severity is 7 to 9 on a
scale of 1 to 10. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is located in the midepigastric
area." Which of these categories does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The present illness (HPI) describes the onset, location, duration, character, severity,
timing, and associated manifestations of the chief complaint. This detailed description fits that
category.
Question 6
The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient completed 8th grade.
He currently lives with his wife and two children. He works on old cars on the weekend. He
works in a glass factory during the week." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Page | 2
,Correct answer: C
Rationale: Personal and social history includes education, living situation, occupation, and
lifestyle factors. This information describes the patient's social context.
Question 7
The following information is recorded in the health history: "I feel really tired." Which category
does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The chief complaint is the reason for the visit in the patient's own words. "I feel
really tired" is a direct statement of why the patient is seeking care.
Question 8
The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient denies chest pain,
palpitations, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The review of systems is a systematic inventory of body systems using yes/no
questions. Denial of cardiac symptoms belongs in the cardiovascular section of the ROS.
Question 9
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient has had three cesarean
sections."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric
Page | 3
, Correct answer: C
Rationale: While cesarean sections are surgeries, they are specifically obstetrical events. The
obstetrics/gynecology category is most appropriate for pregnancy and delivery history.
Question 10
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient had a stent placed in
the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 1999."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Coronary artery disease requiring stenting is a chronic medical condition. Adult
illnesses include significant medical diagnoses and procedures related to those diagnoses.
Question 11
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient was treated for an
asthma exacerbation in the hospital last year; the patient has never been intubated."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition. Hospitalizations for asthma exacerbations
are documented under adult illnesses.
Question 12
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
Page | 4
with Verified Correct Answers & Rationales (Latest
Update 2026) - Already Graded A+
Question 1
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"
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A comprehensive health history is indicated for new patients establishing care to
obtain a complete baseline. Focused histories are appropriate for acute, isolated problems like
sprains, infections, or cuts.
Question 2
The components of the health history include all of the following except which one?
A) Review of systems
B) Thorax and lungs
C) Present illness
D) Personal and social items
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Thorax and lungs are part of the physical examination, not the health history. The
health history includes chief complaint, present illness, review of systems, past medical history,
family history, and personal/social history.
Question 3
Is the following information subjective or objective? "Mr. M. has shortness of breath that has
persisted for the past 10 days; it is worse with activity and relieved by rest."
A) Subjective
B) Objective
Page | 1
,Correct answer: A
Rationale: Subjective data are what the patient reports. Shortness of breath is a symptom felt
and described by the patient, not measured by the examiner.
Question 4
Is the following information subjective or objective? "Mr. M. has a respiratory rate of 32 and a
pulse rate of 120."
A) Subjective
B) Objective
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Objective data are measured and observed by the examiner. Respiratory rate and
pulse rate are vital signs obtained through direct measurement.
Question 5
The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient has had abdominal pain
for 1 week. The pain lasts for 30 minutes at a time; it comes and goes. The severity is 7 to 9 on a
scale of 1 to 10. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. It is located in the midepigastric
area." Which of these categories does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The present illness (HPI) describes the onset, location, duration, character, severity,
timing, and associated manifestations of the chief complaint. This detailed description fits that
category.
Question 6
The following information is recorded in the health history: "The patient completed 8th grade.
He currently lives with his wife and two children. He works on old cars on the weekend. He
works in a glass factory during the week." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Page | 2
,Correct answer: C
Rationale: Personal and social history includes education, living situation, occupation, and
lifestyle factors. This information describes the patient's social context.
Question 7
The following information is recorded in the health history: "I feel really tired." Which category
does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The chief complaint is the reason for the visit in the patient's own words. "I feel
really tired" is a direct statement of why the patient is seeking care.
Question 8
The following information is recorded in the health history: "Patient denies chest pain,
palpitations, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea." Which category does it belong to?
A) Chief complaint
B) Present illness
C) Personal and social history
D) Review of systems
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The review of systems is a systematic inventory of body systems using yes/no
questions. Denial of cardiac symptoms belongs in the cardiovascular section of the ROS.
Question 9
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient has had three cesarean
sections."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric
Page | 3
, Correct answer: C
Rationale: While cesarean sections are surgeries, they are specifically obstetrical events. The
obstetrics/gynecology category is most appropriate for pregnancy and delivery history.
Question 10
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient had a stent placed in
the left anterior descending artery (LAD) in 1999."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Coronary artery disease requiring stenting is a chronic medical condition. Adult
illnesses include significant medical diagnoses and procedures related to those diagnoses.
Question 11
The following information is best placed in which category? "The patient was treated for an
asthma exacerbation in the hospital last year; the patient has never been intubated."
A) Adult illnesses
B) Surgeries
C) Obstetrics/gynecology
D) Psychiatric
Correct answer: A
Rationale: Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition. Hospitalizations for asthma exacerbations
are documented under adult illnesses.
Question 12
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
Page | 4
