Penn State University
LANIF 152 SRUN
PSU
Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing · BSN Program
NURSING
MAKING LIFE BETTER
EST. 1855
Nurs 251 — Final Examination
CO M P R E H E N S I V E H E A LT H A SS E SS M E N T · C R A N I A L N E R V E S · H E A RT/ LU N G S O U N D S · PA I N ·
B R E A ST/ G E N I TO U R I N A R Y · M U S CU LO S K E L E TA L
INSTITUTION Penn State University COURSE CODE NURS 251
PROGRAM Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE NURS 251 — Comprehensive Final TOTAL QUESTIONS 40 Questions
Examination
COURSE TITLE Foundations of Professional Nursing · FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Health Assessment Across the Lifespan Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Questions cover comprehensive health assessment: cranial nerves, heart/lung sounds, pain types, breast/genitourinary,
musculoskeletal, and neurologic assessment.
▸ Select the single best answer based on health assessment and physical examination fundamentals.
▸ Pay careful attention to adventitious breath sounds, heart valve locations, and cranial nerve functions.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for comprehensive final exam preparation.
HEALTH HISTORY · CRANIAL NERVES · HEART/LUNG SOUNDS · PAIN · Questions
BREAST/GU · MUSCULOSKELETAL · NEURO 1 – 40
1. What are the 7 components of a health history?
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, Documentation, Follow-up
B. Biographic data, Reason for seeking care (chief complaint), History of present illness, Past medical history, Family
history, Review of systems, Functional assessment
C. Vital signs, Pain assessment, Head-to-toe, Labs, Imaging, Medications, Allergies
D. Subjective data, Objective data, Assessment, Plan, Intervention, Evaluation, Discharge
CORRECT ANSWER B. Biographic data, Reason for seeking care (chief complaint), History of present illness, Past medical
history, Family history, Review of systems, Functional assessment
RATIONALE The seven components form the complete health history: (1) Biographic data—name, age, gender, ethnic
origin, occupation; (2) Chief complaint—brief statement in patient's own words; (3) History of present illness—
PQRST assessment; (4) Past medical history—diagnoses, medications, allergies with reactions; (5) Family
history; (6) Review of systems—each body system reviewed; (7) Functional assessment—health patterns, self-
care ability, lifestyle.
, 2. What is the difference between subjective and objective data?
A. Subjective: measurable vital signs; Objective: patient's reported symptoms
B. Subjective: what the patient reports (symptoms, health history); Objective: measurable/observable findings (signs,
vital signs, physical exam, labs)
C. There is no difference—both terms are identical
D. Subjective data is always more important than objective data
CORRECT ANSWER B. Subjective: what the patient reports (symptoms, health history); Objective: measurable/observable
findings (signs, vital signs, physical exam, labs)
RATIONALE Subjective data (symptoms) are what the patient tells you—pain, nausea, dizziness, health history. They
cannot be independently verified. Objective data (signs) are measurable and observable—vital signs, physical
exam findings, lab values, diagnostic test results. The health history is subjective; the physical assessment is
objective. Both are essential for a complete clinical picture.
3. What does PQRST stand for in pain assessment?
A. Pulse, Quality, Respiration, Severity, Temperature
B. Provocative/Palliative, Quality/Quantity, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing
C. Pain, Question, Rate, Scale, Treat
D. Position, Quality, Radiation, Symptoms, Treatment
CORRECT ANSWER B. Provocative/Palliative, Quality/Quantity, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing
RATIONALE PQRST is the systematic pain assessment method: P—Provocative (what makes it worse?) / Palliative (what
makes it better?); Q—Quality (sharp, dull, stabbing, throbbing?) / Quantity (how bad?); R—Region (where is it?)
/ Radiation (does it spread?); S—Severity (0–10 scale); T—Timing (onset, duration, frequency, pattern).
COLDSPA is another mnemonic: Character, Onset, Location, Duration, Severity, Pattern, Associated
symptoms.
4. What is nociceptive pain?
A. Pain from nerve damage with no external stimulus
B. Pain from functioning and intact nerves stimulated by actual or potential tissue damage—divided into transduction,
transmission, perception, and modulation
C. Pain that is entirely psychological in origin
D. Pain only from visceral organs
CORRECT ANSWER B. Pain from functioning and intact nerves stimulated by actual or potential tissue damage—divided
into transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation
RATIONALE Nociceptive pain occurs when functioning nerve fibers in the periphery and CNS are stimulated by tissue
injury (burns, lacerations, trauma, inflammation). It follows four phases: Transduction (noxious stimulus
converted to electrical signal), Transmission (signal travels to spinal cord/brain), Perception (conscious
awareness of pain), and Modulation (inhibition of pain signal). Types: somatic (muscles, bones, joints) and
visceral (organs). Neuropathic pain results from nerve damage itself.
LANIF 152 SRUN
PSU
Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing · BSN Program
NURSING
MAKING LIFE BETTER
EST. 1855
Nurs 251 — Final Examination
CO M P R E H E N S I V E H E A LT H A SS E SS M E N T · C R A N I A L N E R V E S · H E A RT/ LU N G S O U N D S · PA I N ·
B R E A ST/ G E N I TO U R I N A R Y · M U S CU LO S K E L E TA L
INSTITUTION Penn State University COURSE CODE NURS 251
PROGRAM Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE NURS 251 — Comprehensive Final TOTAL QUESTIONS 40 Questions
Examination
COURSE TITLE Foundations of Professional Nursing · FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Health Assessment Across the Lifespan Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Questions cover comprehensive health assessment: cranial nerves, heart/lung sounds, pain types, breast/genitourinary,
musculoskeletal, and neurologic assessment.
▸ Select the single best answer based on health assessment and physical examination fundamentals.
▸ Pay careful attention to adventitious breath sounds, heart valve locations, and cranial nerve functions.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for comprehensive final exam preparation.
HEALTH HISTORY · CRANIAL NERVES · HEART/LUNG SOUNDS · PAIN · Questions
BREAST/GU · MUSCULOSKELETAL · NEURO 1 – 40
1. What are the 7 components of a health history?
A. Assessment, Diagnosis, Planning, Implementation, Evaluation, Documentation, Follow-up
B. Biographic data, Reason for seeking care (chief complaint), History of present illness, Past medical history, Family
history, Review of systems, Functional assessment
C. Vital signs, Pain assessment, Head-to-toe, Labs, Imaging, Medications, Allergies
D. Subjective data, Objective data, Assessment, Plan, Intervention, Evaluation, Discharge
CORRECT ANSWER B. Biographic data, Reason for seeking care (chief complaint), History of present illness, Past medical
history, Family history, Review of systems, Functional assessment
RATIONALE The seven components form the complete health history: (1) Biographic data—name, age, gender, ethnic
origin, occupation; (2) Chief complaint—brief statement in patient's own words; (3) History of present illness—
PQRST assessment; (4) Past medical history—diagnoses, medications, allergies with reactions; (5) Family
history; (6) Review of systems—each body system reviewed; (7) Functional assessment—health patterns, self-
care ability, lifestyle.
, 2. What is the difference between subjective and objective data?
A. Subjective: measurable vital signs; Objective: patient's reported symptoms
B. Subjective: what the patient reports (symptoms, health history); Objective: measurable/observable findings (signs,
vital signs, physical exam, labs)
C. There is no difference—both terms are identical
D. Subjective data is always more important than objective data
CORRECT ANSWER B. Subjective: what the patient reports (symptoms, health history); Objective: measurable/observable
findings (signs, vital signs, physical exam, labs)
RATIONALE Subjective data (symptoms) are what the patient tells you—pain, nausea, dizziness, health history. They
cannot be independently verified. Objective data (signs) are measurable and observable—vital signs, physical
exam findings, lab values, diagnostic test results. The health history is subjective; the physical assessment is
objective. Both are essential for a complete clinical picture.
3. What does PQRST stand for in pain assessment?
A. Pulse, Quality, Respiration, Severity, Temperature
B. Provocative/Palliative, Quality/Quantity, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing
C. Pain, Question, Rate, Scale, Treat
D. Position, Quality, Radiation, Symptoms, Treatment
CORRECT ANSWER B. Provocative/Palliative, Quality/Quantity, Region/Radiation, Severity, Timing
RATIONALE PQRST is the systematic pain assessment method: P—Provocative (what makes it worse?) / Palliative (what
makes it better?); Q—Quality (sharp, dull, stabbing, throbbing?) / Quantity (how bad?); R—Region (where is it?)
/ Radiation (does it spread?); S—Severity (0–10 scale); T—Timing (onset, duration, frequency, pattern).
COLDSPA is another mnemonic: Character, Onset, Location, Duration, Severity, Pattern, Associated
symptoms.
4. What is nociceptive pain?
A. Pain from nerve damage with no external stimulus
B. Pain from functioning and intact nerves stimulated by actual or potential tissue damage—divided into transduction,
transmission, perception, and modulation
C. Pain that is entirely psychological in origin
D. Pain only from visceral organs
CORRECT ANSWER B. Pain from functioning and intact nerves stimulated by actual or potential tissue damage—divided
into transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation
RATIONALE Nociceptive pain occurs when functioning nerve fibers in the periphery and CNS are stimulated by tissue
injury (burns, lacerations, trauma, inflammation). It follows four phases: Transduction (noxious stimulus
converted to electrical signal), Transmission (signal travels to spinal cord/brain), Perception (conscious
awareness of pain), and Modulation (inhibition of pain signal). Types: somatic (muscles, bones, joints) and
visceral (organs). Neuropathic pain results from nerve damage itself.
