Penn State University
LANIF • 152 SRUN
PSU Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
MAKING LIFE BETTER
EST. 1855
NURS 251 — Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
F I N A L E X A M I N AT I O N • CO M P R E H E N S I V E H E A D -TO -TO E A SS E SS M E N T
INSTITUTION Penn State University — College of COURSE CODE NURS 251
Nursing
PROGRAM Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE Health Assessment — Final Examination TOTAL QUESTIONS 30 Questions
FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on NURS 251 course content.
▸ Questions cover health history components, therapeutic communication, vital signs, neurological assessment (cranial nerves,
reflexes, cerebellar testing), respiratory and cardiac assessment, abdominal assessment, musculoskeletal assessment, breast
and testicular self-examination, and pressure injury staging.
▸ Pay close attention to the differences between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, arterial and venous peripheral vascular
disorders, and the sequence of abdominal examination.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for final exam preparation.
SECTION I — HEALTH HISTORY, NEURO, RESPIRATORY, CARDIAC, Questions 1
ABDOMEN & MUSCULOSKELETAL – 30
1. What are the seven components of a complete health history?
A. Vital signs, physical exam, lab results, imaging, medications, allergies, immunizations
B. Biographic data, reason for seeking care, history of present illness, past medical history, family history, review of
systems, functional assessment/ADLs
C. Chief complaint, diagnosis, treatment plan, follow-up, referrals, education, discharge
D. Subjective data, objective data, assessment, plan, implementation, evaluation, revision
CORRECT ANSWER B — Biographic data, reason for seeking care, HPI, past medical history, family history, review of
systems, functional assessment/ADLs
RATIONALE The complete health history consists of seven essential components: (1) Biographic data — name, address,
phone number, age, birthdate, gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, occupation, primary language; (2)
Reason for seeking care — a brief, spontaneous statement in the person's own words describing why they
came; (3) History of Present Illness (HPI) — information regarding symptoms and nature of the current
concern, organized chronologically; (4) Past Medical History — diagnoses, past illnesses, surgeries, obstetrical
history, hospitalizations; (5) Family History — diseases, age/cause of death, and health status of relatives; (6)
Review of Systems (ROS) — systematic inquiry about each body system using subjective data; (7) Functional
Assessment/Activities of Daily Living — determines how well the person manages daily life. The three types of
health history are: Complete (total history and full physical exam), Focused (targeted, limited to one body
system), and Episodic/Emergent (urgent, rapid collection with lifesaving measures).
, 2. What is the difference between subjective and objective data?
A. Subjective data are signs; objective data are symptoms
B. Subjective data are things the person tells you that you cannot observe through your senses (symptoms); objective
data are information seen, heard, felt, or smelled by the observer (signs)
C. Both types of data are identical
D. Subjective data are laboratory values; objective data are patient statements
CORRECT ANSWER B — Subjective: what the person tells you (symptoms). Objective: what you observe, hear, feel, or
smell (signs)
RATIONALE Subjective data (symptoms) are the person's reported experiences — pain, nausea, anxiety, fatigue — that
cannot be directly observed or measured by the nurse. They are documented in the patient's own words
when possible. Objective data (signs) are observable, measurable findings the nurse detects through physical
examination and assessment techniques — vital signs, breath sounds, edema, wound appearance, gait
abnormalities. Both types of data are essential for a complete assessment. The Review of Systems (ROS) uses
subjective data — it inquires about symptoms the patient reports, not what the nurse observes. This
distinction is fundamental to the nursing process and clinical documentation: "Patient reports pain 7/10"
(subjective) vs. "Patient grimaces with movement, heart rate 102" (objective). Data should always be
validated when subjective and objective findings disagree.
3. Which therapeutic communication technique involves encouraging the patient to say more by using prompts such
as "mhm" or "go on"?
A. Clarification
B. Reflection
C. Facilitation
D. Confrontation
CORRECT ANSWER C — Facilitation
RATIONALE Therapeutic communication techniques are specific responses that encourage expression of feelings and
ideas while conveying acceptance and respect. Facilitation uses minimal verbal prompts ("mhm," "go on,"
"tell me more") and nonverbal cues (nodding, eye contact) to encourage the patient to continue speaking.
Silence is directed attentiveness that allows the patient time to think and process. Reflection echoes the
patient's words to help them express meaning more deeply. Clarification is useful when the patient's words
are confusing or ambiguous — "Can you explain what you mean by that?" Confrontation clarifies inconsistent
information — "You said you don't drink, but I noticed you ordered a glass of wine at dinner." Interpretation
makes connections to identify cause or conclusion. These techniques are used during the working phase of
the interview to gather complete, accurate subjective data.
LANIF • 152 SRUN
PSU Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing
MAKING LIFE BETTER
EST. 1855
NURS 251 — Health Assessment Across the Lifespan
F I N A L E X A M I N AT I O N • CO M P R E H E N S I V E H E A D -TO -TO E A SS E SS M E N T
INSTITUTION Penn State University — College of COURSE CODE NURS 251
Nursing
PROGRAM Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) ACADEMIC YEAR
EXAM TITLE Health Assessment — Final Examination TOTAL QUESTIONS 30 Questions
FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Answer
EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on NURS 251 course content.
▸ Questions cover health history components, therapeutic communication, vital signs, neurological assessment (cranial nerves,
reflexes, cerebellar testing), respiratory and cardiac assessment, abdominal assessment, musculoskeletal assessment, breast
and testicular self-examination, and pressure injury staging.
▸ Pay close attention to the differences between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, arterial and venous peripheral vascular
disorders, and the sequence of abdominal examination.
▸ Correct answers and detailed rationales appear below each question for final exam preparation.
SECTION I — HEALTH HISTORY, NEURO, RESPIRATORY, CARDIAC, Questions 1
ABDOMEN & MUSCULOSKELETAL – 30
1. What are the seven components of a complete health history?
A. Vital signs, physical exam, lab results, imaging, medications, allergies, immunizations
B. Biographic data, reason for seeking care, history of present illness, past medical history, family history, review of
systems, functional assessment/ADLs
C. Chief complaint, diagnosis, treatment plan, follow-up, referrals, education, discharge
D. Subjective data, objective data, assessment, plan, implementation, evaluation, revision
CORRECT ANSWER B — Biographic data, reason for seeking care, HPI, past medical history, family history, review of
systems, functional assessment/ADLs
RATIONALE The complete health history consists of seven essential components: (1) Biographic data — name, address,
phone number, age, birthdate, gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin, occupation, primary language; (2)
Reason for seeking care — a brief, spontaneous statement in the person's own words describing why they
came; (3) History of Present Illness (HPI) — information regarding symptoms and nature of the current
concern, organized chronologically; (4) Past Medical History — diagnoses, past illnesses, surgeries, obstetrical
history, hospitalizations; (5) Family History — diseases, age/cause of death, and health status of relatives; (6)
Review of Systems (ROS) — systematic inquiry about each body system using subjective data; (7) Functional
Assessment/Activities of Daily Living — determines how well the person manages daily life. The three types of
health history are: Complete (total history and full physical exam), Focused (targeted, limited to one body
system), and Episodic/Emergent (urgent, rapid collection with lifesaving measures).
, 2. What is the difference between subjective and objective data?
A. Subjective data are signs; objective data are symptoms
B. Subjective data are things the person tells you that you cannot observe through your senses (symptoms); objective
data are information seen, heard, felt, or smelled by the observer (signs)
C. Both types of data are identical
D. Subjective data are laboratory values; objective data are patient statements
CORRECT ANSWER B — Subjective: what the person tells you (symptoms). Objective: what you observe, hear, feel, or
smell (signs)
RATIONALE Subjective data (symptoms) are the person's reported experiences — pain, nausea, anxiety, fatigue — that
cannot be directly observed or measured by the nurse. They are documented in the patient's own words
when possible. Objective data (signs) are observable, measurable findings the nurse detects through physical
examination and assessment techniques — vital signs, breath sounds, edema, wound appearance, gait
abnormalities. Both types of data are essential for a complete assessment. The Review of Systems (ROS) uses
subjective data — it inquires about symptoms the patient reports, not what the nurse observes. This
distinction is fundamental to the nursing process and clinical documentation: "Patient reports pain 7/10"
(subjective) vs. "Patient grimaces with movement, heart rate 102" (objective). Data should always be
validated when subjective and objective findings disagree.
3. Which therapeutic communication technique involves encouraging the patient to say more by using prompts such
as "mhm" or "go on"?
A. Clarification
B. Reflection
C. Facilitation
D. Confrontation
CORRECT ANSWER C — Facilitation
RATIONALE Therapeutic communication techniques are specific responses that encourage expression of feelings and
ideas while conveying acceptance and respect. Facilitation uses minimal verbal prompts ("mhm," "go on,"
"tell me more") and nonverbal cues (nodding, eye contact) to encourage the patient to continue speaking.
Silence is directed attentiveness that allows the patient time to think and process. Reflection echoes the
patient's words to help them express meaning more deeply. Clarification is useful when the patient's words
are confusing or ambiguous — "Can you explain what you mean by that?" Confrontation clarifies inconsistent
information — "You said you don't drink, but I noticed you ordered a glass of wine at dinner." Interpretation
makes connections to identify cause or conclusion. These techniques are used during the working phase of
the interview to gather complete, accurate subjective data.
