MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY NURS 612 EXAM 1
1. Which of the following will best facilitate the interview when obtaining a history for a deaf
patient who can read lips? a. Speaking loudly
b. Using gestures
c. Speaking slowly
d. Sitting to the side of the patient
2. Approximately what percentage of patients interviewed have a sexual orientation other than
heterosexual? a. 2% b. 5% c. 10% d. 20%
3. During a history, the patient indicates he has an uncle and a brother with sickle cell disease.
Which of the following is an appropriate method to document this information? a.
Document this as chief complaint.
b. Include it in the family history.
c. Include this in past medical history.
d. Incorporate this information in the social history.
4. Which approach is recommended at the onset of an interview?
a. Use a structured approach to ask questions.
b. Introduce yourself and include a detailed description
of your background and qualifications.
c. Use an open-ended approach; let the patient
explain the problem or reason for the visit.
d. Start with the family history and past medical
history to determine the underlying problem.
5. Which of the following questions may lead to an inaccurate
patient response?
a. “Where do you feel the pain?”
b. “How does this situation make you feel?”
c. “What happened after you noticed your injury?”
d. “That was a horrible experience, wasn’t it?”
6. Repeating a patient’s answer is an attempt to
a. confirm an accurate understanding.
b. discourage patient anger or hostility.
c. teach the patient new medical terms.
d. test the patient’s knowledge.
,7. Which of the following history types is unique to a pediatric history? a.
Family history
b. Developmental history
c. Social history
d. Past medical history
8. When interviewing an adolescent who is reluctant to talk during an interview, it is best to
a. tell the patient you must have honest answers to your questions.
b. ensure confidentiality regarding information discussed.
c. inform the patient that adolescents often have trouble expressing their feelings.
d. obtain the history from a parent or other family member.
9. During an interview, your patient admits to feeling worthless and having a sleep disturbance
for the past 3 weeks. These are clues that warrant the exploration of a. risk for suicide.
b. split personality.
c. cognitive function.
d. functional assessment.
10. Mrs. Carol Turner is a 38-year-old mother who brings her 1-year-old son in for health care.
Which of the following requests to the child’s mother would be most appropriate for the
interviewer to make at the beginning of the interview? a. “Mom, please place your son in your
lap.”
b. “Carol, please place your son in your lap.”
c. “Mrs. Turner, please place your son in your lap.”
d. “Sweetie, please place your son in your lap.”
11. Which type of questionnaire concerning drug and alcohol use is advocated, although not
clinically validated, for adolescent patients?
a. TACE b. CAGE c. CRAFFT d. DDST
12. Jerry, a 26-year-old homosexual man, is having a health history taken. Which question
regarding sexual activity would most likely hamper trust between Jerry and the interviewer? a.
“Are you married, or do you have a girlfriend?”
b. “Tell me about your living situation.”
c. “Are you sexually active?”
d. “Are your partners men, women, or both?”
13. A conversation with a parent concerning a 5-year-old child
a. violates the child’s need for privacy.
b. is inappropriate because the child is able to talk with you.
c. provides significant information about family dynamics.
, d. causes distrust in the child toward the examiner.
14. Long periods of silence during an interview may indicate
a. a need for the health care provider to increase the pace of the interview.
b. an inability of the patient to communicate.
c. time needed to gain courage to discuss a painful topic.
d. a need to terminate the interview because of the patient’s inability to pay attention.
15. When questioning a patient regarding a sensitive issue, such as drug use, it is best to
a. begin by describing to the patient the effects of drug abuse on health.
b. be direct, firm, and to the point.
c. explain that the information will be shared only with health care workers.
d. apologizes to the patient for asking personal questions.
16. Direct questions are designed to
a. attack sensitive material head on.
b. demonstrate to the patient who is in charge of the interview process.
c. ensure confidentiality.
d. obtain or clarify specific details about an answer.
17. Interviewers should identify and assess their own feelings, such as hostility and prejudice, in
order to
a. avoid inappropriate behavior.
b. explain their biases to patients.
c. express their idiosyncrasies.
d. reduce communication barriers.
18. During an interview, a patient describes abdominal pain that often awakens him at night.
Which of the following responses by the interviewer would facilitate the interviewing process? a.
“Constipation can cause abdominal pain.”
b. “Do you need a sleeping medication?”
c. “Pain is always worse at night, isn’t it?”
d. “Tell me what you mean by often.”
19. When taking a patient’s history, you are asked questions about your personal life. What is the
best response to facilitate the interviewing process?
a. Answer briefly and then refocus to the patient’s history.
b. Give as much detail as possible about the asked information.
c. Ignore the question and continue with the patient’s history.
d. Tell the patient that it is inappropriate to answer personal questions.
1. Which of the following will best facilitate the interview when obtaining a history for a deaf
patient who can read lips? a. Speaking loudly
b. Using gestures
c. Speaking slowly
d. Sitting to the side of the patient
2. Approximately what percentage of patients interviewed have a sexual orientation other than
heterosexual? a. 2% b. 5% c. 10% d. 20%
3. During a history, the patient indicates he has an uncle and a brother with sickle cell disease.
Which of the following is an appropriate method to document this information? a.
Document this as chief complaint.
b. Include it in the family history.
c. Include this in past medical history.
d. Incorporate this information in the social history.
4. Which approach is recommended at the onset of an interview?
a. Use a structured approach to ask questions.
b. Introduce yourself and include a detailed description
of your background and qualifications.
c. Use an open-ended approach; let the patient
explain the problem or reason for the visit.
d. Start with the family history and past medical
history to determine the underlying problem.
5. Which of the following questions may lead to an inaccurate
patient response?
a. “Where do you feel the pain?”
b. “How does this situation make you feel?”
c. “What happened after you noticed your injury?”
d. “That was a horrible experience, wasn’t it?”
6. Repeating a patient’s answer is an attempt to
a. confirm an accurate understanding.
b. discourage patient anger or hostility.
c. teach the patient new medical terms.
d. test the patient’s knowledge.
,7. Which of the following history types is unique to a pediatric history? a.
Family history
b. Developmental history
c. Social history
d. Past medical history
8. When interviewing an adolescent who is reluctant to talk during an interview, it is best to
a. tell the patient you must have honest answers to your questions.
b. ensure confidentiality regarding information discussed.
c. inform the patient that adolescents often have trouble expressing their feelings.
d. obtain the history from a parent or other family member.
9. During an interview, your patient admits to feeling worthless and having a sleep disturbance
for the past 3 weeks. These are clues that warrant the exploration of a. risk for suicide.
b. split personality.
c. cognitive function.
d. functional assessment.
10. Mrs. Carol Turner is a 38-year-old mother who brings her 1-year-old son in for health care.
Which of the following requests to the child’s mother would be most appropriate for the
interviewer to make at the beginning of the interview? a. “Mom, please place your son in your
lap.”
b. “Carol, please place your son in your lap.”
c. “Mrs. Turner, please place your son in your lap.”
d. “Sweetie, please place your son in your lap.”
11. Which type of questionnaire concerning drug and alcohol use is advocated, although not
clinically validated, for adolescent patients?
a. TACE b. CAGE c. CRAFFT d. DDST
12. Jerry, a 26-year-old homosexual man, is having a health history taken. Which question
regarding sexual activity would most likely hamper trust between Jerry and the interviewer? a.
“Are you married, or do you have a girlfriend?”
b. “Tell me about your living situation.”
c. “Are you sexually active?”
d. “Are your partners men, women, or both?”
13. A conversation with a parent concerning a 5-year-old child
a. violates the child’s need for privacy.
b. is inappropriate because the child is able to talk with you.
c. provides significant information about family dynamics.
, d. causes distrust in the child toward the examiner.
14. Long periods of silence during an interview may indicate
a. a need for the health care provider to increase the pace of the interview.
b. an inability of the patient to communicate.
c. time needed to gain courage to discuss a painful topic.
d. a need to terminate the interview because of the patient’s inability to pay attention.
15. When questioning a patient regarding a sensitive issue, such as drug use, it is best to
a. begin by describing to the patient the effects of drug abuse on health.
b. be direct, firm, and to the point.
c. explain that the information will be shared only with health care workers.
d. apologizes to the patient for asking personal questions.
16. Direct questions are designed to
a. attack sensitive material head on.
b. demonstrate to the patient who is in charge of the interview process.
c. ensure confidentiality.
d. obtain or clarify specific details about an answer.
17. Interviewers should identify and assess their own feelings, such as hostility and prejudice, in
order to
a. avoid inappropriate behavior.
b. explain their biases to patients.
c. express their idiosyncrasies.
d. reduce communication barriers.
18. During an interview, a patient describes abdominal pain that often awakens him at night.
Which of the following responses by the interviewer would facilitate the interviewing process? a.
“Constipation can cause abdominal pain.”
b. “Do you need a sleeping medication?”
c. “Pain is always worse at night, isn’t it?”
d. “Tell me what you mean by often.”
19. When taking a patient’s history, you are asked questions about your personal life. What is the
best response to facilitate the interviewing process?
a. Answer briefly and then refocus to the patient’s history.
b. Give as much detail as possible about the asked information.
c. Ignore the question and continue with the patient’s history.
d. Tell the patient that it is inappropriate to answer personal questions.
