HESI Health Assessment Questions with Answers and Explanations
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse is a preceptor for a nurse who just graduated from nursing school. When
caring for a patient, the new graduate nurse begins to explain to the patient the purpose of
completing a physical assessment. Which of the following statements made by the new
graduate nurse requires the preceptor to intervene?
a. I will use the information from my assessment to figure out if your antihypertensive
medication is working effectively.
b. Nursing assessment data are used only to provide information about the effectiveness
of your medical care.
c. Nurses use data from their patient’s physical assessment to determine a patient’s
educational needs.
d. Information gained from physical assessment helps nurses better understand their
patient’s emotional needs.
ANS: B
Nursing assessment data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of a patient’s
care, not just the patient’s medical care. Assessment data help to evaluate the effectiveness of
medications and to determine a patient’s health care needs, including the need for patient
education. Nurses also use assessment data to identify patients psychosocial and cultural
needs.
,2. Having misplaced his stethoscope, a nurse borrows a colleague’s stethoscope. He next
enters the patients room and identifies himself, washes his hands with soap, and states the
purpose of his visit. He
performs proper identification of the patient before he auscultates her lungs. Which critical
health assessment step was not performed?
a. Running warm water over stethoscope for patient comfort
b. Cleaning stethoscope with Betadine
c. Using alcohol-based hand disinfectant
d. Cleaning stethoscope with alcohol
ANS: D
Bacteria and viruses can be transferred from patient to patient when a stethoscope that is not
clean is used. The stethoscope should be cleaned before use on each patient. Running water
over the stethoscope does not kill bacteria. Betadine is an inappropriate cleaning solution and
may damage the equipment. Hand sanitizer is not an approved cleaning product.
3. Which is the best examination position for a complete geriatric physical examination
on a weak patient with bilateral basilar pneumonia?
a. Prone position
b. Sims position
c. Supine position
d. Lateral recumbent
, ANS: C
This is the most normally relaxed position. It will not compromise the patients breathing
because it is likely compromised with pneumonia. If the patient becomes short of breath
easily, raise the head of the bed. This position would be easiest for an elderly weak person to
get into position for an examination. Lateral recumbent and prone positions cause respiratory
difficulty for any patient with respiratory difficulties. Sims position is used for assessment of
the rectum and the vagina.
4. During an annual gynecological examination, a college student discusses her
upcoming college break at a tropical location. After the student receives an oral contraceptive
prescription, the nurse
identifies the importance of skin cancer prevention education by discussing which evidence-
based prevention health topic?
a. Applying water-based sunscreen only before swimming
b. Using tanning bed daily for 7 days before college break trip
c. Applying broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 5
d. Taking extra precautions in the sun secondary to the prescription
ANS: D
Oral contraceptives can make the skin more sensitive to the sun. For this reason, the patient
should be educated about the need for sun protection such as wide-brimmed hats, use of
broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater, not tanning during midday, and not using
tanning beds. Broad-spectrum sunscreens should be applied 15 minutes before going into the
sun and after swimming or perspiring. Tanning parlors, sunlamps, etc., should be avoided.
Sunscreens with SPF of 15 or greater should be used.
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse is a preceptor for a nurse who just graduated from nursing school. When
caring for a patient, the new graduate nurse begins to explain to the patient the purpose of
completing a physical assessment. Which of the following statements made by the new
graduate nurse requires the preceptor to intervene?
a. I will use the information from my assessment to figure out if your antihypertensive
medication is working effectively.
b. Nursing assessment data are used only to provide information about the effectiveness
of your medical care.
c. Nurses use data from their patient’s physical assessment to determine a patient’s
educational needs.
d. Information gained from physical assessment helps nurses better understand their
patient’s emotional needs.
ANS: B
Nursing assessment data are used to evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of a patient’s
care, not just the patient’s medical care. Assessment data help to evaluate the effectiveness of
medications and to determine a patient’s health care needs, including the need for patient
education. Nurses also use assessment data to identify patients psychosocial and cultural
needs.
,2. Having misplaced his stethoscope, a nurse borrows a colleague’s stethoscope. He next
enters the patients room and identifies himself, washes his hands with soap, and states the
purpose of his visit. He
performs proper identification of the patient before he auscultates her lungs. Which critical
health assessment step was not performed?
a. Running warm water over stethoscope for patient comfort
b. Cleaning stethoscope with Betadine
c. Using alcohol-based hand disinfectant
d. Cleaning stethoscope with alcohol
ANS: D
Bacteria and viruses can be transferred from patient to patient when a stethoscope that is not
clean is used. The stethoscope should be cleaned before use on each patient. Running water
over the stethoscope does not kill bacteria. Betadine is an inappropriate cleaning solution and
may damage the equipment. Hand sanitizer is not an approved cleaning product.
3. Which is the best examination position for a complete geriatric physical examination
on a weak patient with bilateral basilar pneumonia?
a. Prone position
b. Sims position
c. Supine position
d. Lateral recumbent
, ANS: C
This is the most normally relaxed position. It will not compromise the patients breathing
because it is likely compromised with pneumonia. If the patient becomes short of breath
easily, raise the head of the bed. This position would be easiest for an elderly weak person to
get into position for an examination. Lateral recumbent and prone positions cause respiratory
difficulty for any patient with respiratory difficulties. Sims position is used for assessment of
the rectum and the vagina.
4. During an annual gynecological examination, a college student discusses her
upcoming college break at a tropical location. After the student receives an oral contraceptive
prescription, the nurse
identifies the importance of skin cancer prevention education by discussing which evidence-
based prevention health topic?
a. Applying water-based sunscreen only before swimming
b. Using tanning bed daily for 7 days before college break trip
c. Applying broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 5
d. Taking extra precautions in the sun secondary to the prescription
ANS: D
Oral contraceptives can make the skin more sensitive to the sun. For this reason, the patient
should be educated about the need for sun protection such as wide-brimmed hats, use of
broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater, not tanning during midday, and not using
tanning beds. Broad-spectrum sunscreens should be applied 15 minutes before going into the
sun and after swimming or perspiring. Tanning parlors, sunlamps, etc., should be avoided.
Sunscreens with SPF of 15 or greater should be used.
