HEALTH ASSESSMENT HESI EXAM REVISION
GUIDE GRADED A
1) A 6-month-old infant has been brought to the well-child clinic for a check-up. She is
currently sleeping. What should the nurse do first when beginning the examination?
a) Auscultate the lungs and heart while the infant is still sleeping.
b) Examine the infant’s hips because this procedure is uncomfortable.
c) Begin with the assessment of the eye and continue with the remainder of the examination in a
head-to-toe approach.
D}Wake the infant before beginning any portion of the examination to obtain the most accurate
assessment of body systems.
2) A 2-year-old child has been brought to the clinic for a well-child check-up. The best way for
the nurse to begin the assessment is reflected by which statement?
a) Ask the parent to place the child on the examining table.
b) Have the parent remove all of the child’s clothing before the examination.
c) Allow the child to keep a security object such as a toy or blanket during the examination.
d) Initially focus interactions on the child, essentially “ignoring” the parent, until the child’s trust
has been obtained.
3) The nurse is examining a 2-year-old child and asks, “May I listen to your heart now?” Which
critique of the nurse’s technique is most accurate?
a) Asking questions enhances the child’s autonomy.
b) Asking the child for permission helps to develop a sense of trust.
c) This is an appropriate statement because children at this age like to have choices.
d) Children at this age like to say “No.” The examiner should not offer a choice when there
is none
4) A woman brings her husband to the clinic for an examination. She is particularly worried
because after a recent fall, he seems to have lost a great deal of his memory of recent events.
Which statement reflects the nurse’s best course of action?
a) The nurse should plan to perform a complete mental status examination.
b) The nurse should refer him to a psychometrician.
c) The nurse should plan to integrate the mental status examination into the history and physical
examination.
d) The nurse should reassure his wife that memory loss after a physical shock is normal and
willsubside soon.
5) The nurse is conducting a patient interview. Which statement made by the patient should the
nurse explore more fully during the interview? The patient states that he:
a) “Sleeps like a baby”
b) Has no health problems
c) “Never did too good in school”
d) Currently is not taking any medication
6) A patient is admitted to the unit after an automobile accident. The nurse begins the mental
status examination and finds that the patient's speech is dysarthric and that she is lethargic. The
, nurse’s best approach regarding this examination is to:
a) Plan to defer the rest of the mental status examination
b) Skip the language portion of the examination and go on to assess mood and affect
c) Do an in-depth speech evaluation and defer the mental status examination to another time
d) Go ahead and assess for suicidal thoughts because dysarthria is often accompanied by severe
depression
GUIDE GRADED A
1) A 6-month-old infant has been brought to the well-child clinic for a check-up. She is
currently sleeping. What should the nurse do first when beginning the examination?
a) Auscultate the lungs and heart while the infant is still sleeping.
b) Examine the infant’s hips because this procedure is uncomfortable.
c) Begin with the assessment of the eye and continue with the remainder of the examination in a
head-to-toe approach.
D}Wake the infant before beginning any portion of the examination to obtain the most accurate
assessment of body systems.
2) A 2-year-old child has been brought to the clinic for a well-child check-up. The best way for
the nurse to begin the assessment is reflected by which statement?
a) Ask the parent to place the child on the examining table.
b) Have the parent remove all of the child’s clothing before the examination.
c) Allow the child to keep a security object such as a toy or blanket during the examination.
d) Initially focus interactions on the child, essentially “ignoring” the parent, until the child’s trust
has been obtained.
3) The nurse is examining a 2-year-old child and asks, “May I listen to your heart now?” Which
critique of the nurse’s technique is most accurate?
a) Asking questions enhances the child’s autonomy.
b) Asking the child for permission helps to develop a sense of trust.
c) This is an appropriate statement because children at this age like to have choices.
d) Children at this age like to say “No.” The examiner should not offer a choice when there
is none
4) A woman brings her husband to the clinic for an examination. She is particularly worried
because after a recent fall, he seems to have lost a great deal of his memory of recent events.
Which statement reflects the nurse’s best course of action?
a) The nurse should plan to perform a complete mental status examination.
b) The nurse should refer him to a psychometrician.
c) The nurse should plan to integrate the mental status examination into the history and physical
examination.
d) The nurse should reassure his wife that memory loss after a physical shock is normal and
willsubside soon.
5) The nurse is conducting a patient interview. Which statement made by the patient should the
nurse explore more fully during the interview? The patient states that he:
a) “Sleeps like a baby”
b) Has no health problems
c) “Never did too good in school”
d) Currently is not taking any medication
6) A patient is admitted to the unit after an automobile accident. The nurse begins the mental
status examination and finds that the patient's speech is dysarthric and that she is lethargic. The
, nurse’s best approach regarding this examination is to:
a) Plan to defer the rest of the mental status examination
b) Skip the language portion of the examination and go on to assess mood and affect
c) Do an in-depth speech evaluation and defer the mental status examination to another time
d) Go ahead and assess for suicidal thoughts because dysarthria is often accompanied by severe
depression
