Chapter 03: Health History and Physical
Examination
Test Bank for Lewis Medical Surgical Nursing 11th Edition by
Harding
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient who is actively bleeding is admitted to the emergency department. Which
approach is best for the nurse to use to obtain a health history?
a. Briefly interview the patient while obtaining vital signs.
b. Obtain subjective data about the patient from family members.
c. Omit subjective data collection and obtain the physical examination.
d. Use the health care providers medical history to obtain subjective data.
ANS: A
In an emergency situation the nurse may need to ask only the most pertinent
questions for a specific problem and obtain more information later. A complete
health history will include subjective information that is not available in the health
care providers medical history. Family members may be able to provide some
subjective data, but only the patient will be able to give subjective information
about the bleeding. Because the subjective data about the cause of the patients
bleeding will be essential, obtaining the physical examination alone will not
provide sufficient information.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and
Maintenance
2. During the health history interview, a patient tells the nurse about periodic fainting
spells. Which question by the nurse will best elicit any associated clinical
manifestations?
a. How frequently do you have the fainting spells?
b. Where are you when you have the fainting spells?
c. Do the spells tend to occur at any special time of day?
d. Do you have any other symptoms along with the spells?
ANS: D
Asking about other associated symptoms will provide the nurse more information
about all the clinical manifestations related to the fainting spells. Information
about the setting is obtained by asking where the patient was and what the patient
was doing when the symptom occurred. The other questions from the nurse are
appropriate for obtaining information about chronology and frequency.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and
, Maintenance
3. Immediate surgery is planned for a patient with acute abdominal pain. Which
question by the nurse will elicit the most complete information about the patients
coping-stress tolerance pattern?
a. Can you rate your pain on a 0 to 10 scale?
b. What do you think caused this abdominal pain?
c. How do you feel about yourself and your hospitalization?
d. Are there other major problems that are a concern right now?
ANS: D
The coping-stress tolerance pattern includes information about other major
stressors confronting the patient. The health perceptionhealth management pattern
includes information about the patients ideas about risk factors. Feelings about
self and the hospitalization are assessed in the self-perceptionself-concept pattern.
Intensity of pain is part of the cognitive-perceptual pattern. DIF: Cognitive Level:
Apply (application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity
4. The nurse records the following general survey of a patient: The patient is a 50-year-
old Asian female attended by her husband and two daughters. Alert and oriented.
Does not make eye contact with the nurse and responds slowly, but appropriately, to
questions. No apparent disabilities or distinguishing features. What additional
information should the nurse add to this general survey?
a. Nutritional status
b. Intake and output
c. Reasons for contact with the health care system
d. Comments of family members about his condition
ANS: A
The general survey also describes the patients general nutritional status. The other
information will be obtained when doing the complete nursing history and
examination but is not obtained through the initial scanning of a patient.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and
Maintenance
5. A nurse performs a health history and physical examination with a patient who has a
right leg fracture. Which assessment would be a pertinent negative finding?
a. Patient has several bruised and swollen areas on the right leg.
b. Patient states that there have been no other recent health problems.
c. Patient refuses to bend the right knee because of the associated pain.
d. Patient denies having pain when the area over the fracture is palpated.
ANS: D
The nurse expects that a patient with a leg fracture will have pain over the
Examination
Test Bank for Lewis Medical Surgical Nursing 11th Edition by
Harding
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A patient who is actively bleeding is admitted to the emergency department. Which
approach is best for the nurse to use to obtain a health history?
a. Briefly interview the patient while obtaining vital signs.
b. Obtain subjective data about the patient from family members.
c. Omit subjective data collection and obtain the physical examination.
d. Use the health care providers medical history to obtain subjective data.
ANS: A
In an emergency situation the nurse may need to ask only the most pertinent
questions for a specific problem and obtain more information later. A complete
health history will include subjective information that is not available in the health
care providers medical history. Family members may be able to provide some
subjective data, but only the patient will be able to give subjective information
about the bleeding. Because the subjective data about the cause of the patients
bleeding will be essential, obtaining the physical examination alone will not
provide sufficient information.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and
Maintenance
2. During the health history interview, a patient tells the nurse about periodic fainting
spells. Which question by the nurse will best elicit any associated clinical
manifestations?
a. How frequently do you have the fainting spells?
b. Where are you when you have the fainting spells?
c. Do the spells tend to occur at any special time of day?
d. Do you have any other symptoms along with the spells?
ANS: D
Asking about other associated symptoms will provide the nurse more information
about all the clinical manifestations related to the fainting spells. Information
about the setting is obtained by asking where the patient was and what the patient
was doing when the symptom occurred. The other questions from the nurse are
appropriate for obtaining information about chronology and frequency.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Apply (application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and
, Maintenance
3. Immediate surgery is planned for a patient with acute abdominal pain. Which
question by the nurse will elicit the most complete information about the patients
coping-stress tolerance pattern?
a. Can you rate your pain on a 0 to 10 scale?
b. What do you think caused this abdominal pain?
c. How do you feel about yourself and your hospitalization?
d. Are there other major problems that are a concern right now?
ANS: D
The coping-stress tolerance pattern includes information about other major
stressors confronting the patient. The health perceptionhealth management pattern
includes information about the patients ideas about risk factors. Feelings about
self and the hospitalization are assessed in the self-perceptionself-concept pattern.
Intensity of pain is part of the cognitive-perceptual pattern. DIF: Cognitive Level:
Apply (application)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Psychosocial Integrity
4. The nurse records the following general survey of a patient: The patient is a 50-year-
old Asian female attended by her husband and two daughters. Alert and oriented.
Does not make eye contact with the nurse and responds slowly, but appropriately, to
questions. No apparent disabilities or distinguishing features. What additional
information should the nurse add to this general survey?
a. Nutritional status
b. Intake and output
c. Reasons for contact with the health care system
d. Comments of family members about his condition
ANS: A
The general survey also describes the patients general nutritional status. The other
information will be obtained when doing the complete nursing history and
examination but is not obtained through the initial scanning of a patient.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understand (comprehension)
TOP: Nursing Process: Assessment MSC: NCLEX: Health Promotion and
Maintenance
5. A nurse performs a health history and physical examination with a patient who has a
right leg fracture. Which assessment would be a pertinent negative finding?
a. Patient has several bruised and swollen areas on the right leg.
b. Patient states that there have been no other recent health problems.
c. Patient refuses to bend the right knee because of the associated pain.
d. Patient denies having pain when the area over the fracture is palpated.
ANS: D
The nurse expects that a patient with a leg fracture will have pain over the
