ATI fundamentals Vital Signs Questions
and Answers 100% Pass
Having recently moved into the area, a 56-year-old female is having her initial visit with the
primary care provider she selected. The patient denies any chronic or acute illnesses.
You measure & record her vital sign data, whats next?
The primary reason for assessing this patient's vital
signs is to ✔✔establish a baseline when the patient reports no specific health-related problem.
You got it right. Vital signs are assessed for various reasons that include determining the patient's
response to medical and nursing therapy as well as identifying clinical problems. However, the
primary reason for such assessment at an initial visit of an apparently well patient is to document
baseline data. This information will be useful for comparison with vital-sign data obtained at
subsequent visits.
Which of the following accurately describes body temperature? ✔✔The difference between heat
produced by and lost from the body
rationale: Normal body temperature is the healthy balance between the amounts of heat the body
produces as a byproduct of metabolism, muscle activity, thyroxine output, and sympathetic
stimulation and the heat lost as a result of radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation.
Which of the following temperatures is within the normal range for adults and is documented
correctly?
A. T = 98.6º F
B. T = 99.6º F (O)
C. T = 101.0º F (O) ✔✔B. T = 99.6º F (O)
Which of the following is true regarding assessing a patient's pulse?
, A. The human pulse is the palpable bounding of the blood flow in a peripheral artery.
B. The normal pulse range for a resting adult is 50 to 110 beats/mi
C. Three components that the nurse should include when documenting pulse (P) are the rate,
rhythm, and depth.
D. To calculate the pulse of a patient whose rhythm is irregular, the nurse should count the pulse
rate for 30 seconds and multiply by two. ✔✔A. The human pulse is the palpable bounding of the
blood flow in a peripheral artery.
Will your assessment of respiration provide information about your patient's ability to intake
carbon dioxide and to expel oxygen? ✔✔B. No
You got it right. Respiration is the mechanism a person uses to introduce oxygen into the body
while expelling carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Which of the following is true regarding assessing a patient's respiration?
A. It is best to inform the patient that you are assessing her respiration.
B. "R = 14/min, normal, regular" is an appropriate documentation of a patient's respiration.
C. Occurrence or periods of apnea in an older adult is a normal respiratory finding.
D. Anxiety and acute pain are two factors that should not affect a patient's respiratory rate. ✔✔B.
"R = 14/min, normal, regular" is an appropriate documentation of a patient's respiration.
Which of the following describes systolic pressure?
A. The force blood exerts on the wall of a blood vessel during both the contraction and relaxation
phases of the heart
B. The pressure exerted by the blood during the heart's contraction phase
C. The pressure exerted by the blood during the heart's relaxation phase ✔✔B. The pressure
exerted by the blood during the heart's contraction phase
and Answers 100% Pass
Having recently moved into the area, a 56-year-old female is having her initial visit with the
primary care provider she selected. The patient denies any chronic or acute illnesses.
You measure & record her vital sign data, whats next?
The primary reason for assessing this patient's vital
signs is to ✔✔establish a baseline when the patient reports no specific health-related problem.
You got it right. Vital signs are assessed for various reasons that include determining the patient's
response to medical and nursing therapy as well as identifying clinical problems. However, the
primary reason for such assessment at an initial visit of an apparently well patient is to document
baseline data. This information will be useful for comparison with vital-sign data obtained at
subsequent visits.
Which of the following accurately describes body temperature? ✔✔The difference between heat
produced by and lost from the body
rationale: Normal body temperature is the healthy balance between the amounts of heat the body
produces as a byproduct of metabolism, muscle activity, thyroxine output, and sympathetic
stimulation and the heat lost as a result of radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation.
Which of the following temperatures is within the normal range for adults and is documented
correctly?
A. T = 98.6º F
B. T = 99.6º F (O)
C. T = 101.0º F (O) ✔✔B. T = 99.6º F (O)
Which of the following is true regarding assessing a patient's pulse?
, A. The human pulse is the palpable bounding of the blood flow in a peripheral artery.
B. The normal pulse range for a resting adult is 50 to 110 beats/mi
C. Three components that the nurse should include when documenting pulse (P) are the rate,
rhythm, and depth.
D. To calculate the pulse of a patient whose rhythm is irregular, the nurse should count the pulse
rate for 30 seconds and multiply by two. ✔✔A. The human pulse is the palpable bounding of the
blood flow in a peripheral artery.
Will your assessment of respiration provide information about your patient's ability to intake
carbon dioxide and to expel oxygen? ✔✔B. No
You got it right. Respiration is the mechanism a person uses to introduce oxygen into the body
while expelling carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Which of the following is true regarding assessing a patient's respiration?
A. It is best to inform the patient that you are assessing her respiration.
B. "R = 14/min, normal, regular" is an appropriate documentation of a patient's respiration.
C. Occurrence or periods of apnea in an older adult is a normal respiratory finding.
D. Anxiety and acute pain are two factors that should not affect a patient's respiratory rate. ✔✔B.
"R = 14/min, normal, regular" is an appropriate documentation of a patient's respiration.
Which of the following describes systolic pressure?
A. The force blood exerts on the wall of a blood vessel during both the contraction and relaxation
phases of the heart
B. The pressure exerted by the blood during the heart's contraction phase
C. The pressure exerted by the blood during the heart's relaxation phase ✔✔B. The pressure
exerted by the blood during the heart's contraction phase
