NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT MIDTERM EXAM NEWEST
2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) |BRAND NEW VERSION!!
A 59-year-old patient presents to his primary care provider with a history of
several episodes of sharp epigastric pain. His father died of pancreatic cancer at
age 52 years, and the patient recalls to the clinician that, "His pain was just like
mine is now ..." The patient then pauses several seconds. The clinician replies,
"Just like?" after which the patient restarts his narrative. Which of the following is
an example of the interviewing techniques employed by the clinician?
a. Clarifying
b. Echoing
c. Encouraging with continuers d. Eliciting a graded response
e. Asking a leading question
b. Echoing
A 14-year-old male presents to a new primary care provider after his family
relocates to a state. The patient underwent treatment for sarcoma when he was
age 11 years, including an above-the-knee amputation. He has learned to
successfully navigate with a prosthetic leg and even engage in competitive
athletics at school. He does not like to speak of his experience with cancer and
often makes up humorous stories to tell new acquaintances about his amputation
(such as, "I got bit by a squirrel and they had to amputate."). Although he is very
well engaged in most of the visit with the new clinician, when the topic of cancer
arises, he demurs to his father, who accompanies him to this appointment. Which
of the following statements is most likely to be helpful in cementing the patient's
trust in the new provider
a. "That sounds like a frightening experience that you are recovering well from."
b. "You are becoming an adult
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, NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
a. "That sounds like a frightening experience that you are recovering well from."
A 29-year-old electrician complains of persistent cough and wheezing, particularly
when he exercises. He says he smokes "occasionally" but rarely so much that he
needs to purchase cigarettes: "Mostly, I bum them," he says, chuckling. Upon
hearing this information, what is the best next step on the part of the clinician?
a. Determine the patient's exercise regimen.
b. Determine the number of pack-years the patient smokes.
c. Conduct a mental status examination.
d. Explain the relationship between smoking and cancer.
e. Determine the patient's immunization history.
b. Determine the number of pack-years the patient smokes.
A 47-year-old fitness trainer visits the physician assistant (PA) because of skin
dryness, night sweats, and irregular menstrual periods. It is the PA's first contact
with this patient. The patient notes that "My sex life has really gone downhill
lately" and says that she is considering divorcing her husband of 20 years, stating
that "He's not a bad guy. I just think that I can do better." In which of the following
ways should the clinician proceed?
a. Obtain a menstrual history for the previous 6 months.
b. Help the patient review the pros and cons of divorce.
c. Inform the patient that menopause is a normal part of aging.
d. Conduct a breast examination.
e. Determine the patient's out-of-country travel history.
a. Obtain a menstrual history for the previous 6 months.
One important examination technique involves using the third fingers of each
hand to determine the health of internal organs. What is the name of this
technique?
a. Auscultation
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, NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
b. Percussion
c. Inspection
d. Palpation
e. Listening
b. Percussion
The CAGE questionnaire is a short screening examination administered in the
office to evaluate for which of the following?
a. Alcohol misuse
b. Risk for illicit substance abuse
c. Likelihood that the patient complaints are "psychosomatic"
d. Major depressive disorder
e. Bipolar disorder
a. Alcohol misuse
A 53-year-old caterer comes to the clinic for a routine examination. She has type 2
diabetes mellitus, which is well controlled on medication. Her history from her last
visit reveals that she smoked one pack of cigarettes a day at that time. The 5 As
Model is a useful approach to take with trying to help patients to quit smoking.
What is the 5 As Model?
a. Admonish, action, available, assess, alleviating factors
b. Agitate, assist, alleviating factors, able, action
c. Affable, associated manifestations, ask, admonish, available
d. Ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange
e. Arrange, aggravating factors, action, attitude, able
d. Ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange
A 21-year-old college student experiences tachycardia following a night of heavy
drinking. She is advised to undergo a stress electrocardiogram (ECG). As she
exercises, the recently calibrated pulse oximeter records a heart rate ranging from
25 beats per minute (bpm) at rest to 50 bpm while jogging. The test is stopped
3|Page
, NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
and re-started twice, and each time the pulse oximeter yields a resting heart rate
of 25 and a jogging heart rate of 50. Which aspect of this instrument does the ECG
technician question?
a. Prevalence
b. Validity
c. Sensitivity
d. Specificity
e. Predictive value
b. Validity
A 51-year-old moderately overweight college professor visits the clinic with a
complaint of chest pain after tennis matches. He jokes that his tennis partner "is in
a lot better shape than I am" but says that he is trying to keep up. Later in the day,
a 28-year-old female student at the same college reports that "my chest often
feels hot and tight." She also feels stressed on the evening before mid-term
exams. The clinician recommends an immediate evaluation for coronary artery
disease (CAD) for the professor, but not for the student. Why?
a. Positive predictive value of an observation is higher in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
b. Positive predictive value of an observation is lower in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
c. Negative predictive value of an observation is lower in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
d. Negative predictive value of an observation is higher in a group
a. Positive predictive value of an observation is higher in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
A 23-year-old farm worker submits urine for testing. Three test strips from
Container A show abnormally low pH levels in the urine. However, three test strips
from Container B, purchased more recently, consistently indicate that the pH of
this patient's urine is normal. Which of the following is a true statement about the
4|Page
NR 509 ADVANCED PHYSICAL ASSESSMENT MIDTERM EXAM NEWEST
2025/2026 COMPLETE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT DETAILED
ANSWERS (VERIFIED ANSWERS) |BRAND NEW VERSION!!
A 59-year-old patient presents to his primary care provider with a history of
several episodes of sharp epigastric pain. His father died of pancreatic cancer at
age 52 years, and the patient recalls to the clinician that, "His pain was just like
mine is now ..." The patient then pauses several seconds. The clinician replies,
"Just like?" after which the patient restarts his narrative. Which of the following is
an example of the interviewing techniques employed by the clinician?
a. Clarifying
b. Echoing
c. Encouraging with continuers d. Eliciting a graded response
e. Asking a leading question
b. Echoing
A 14-year-old male presents to a new primary care provider after his family
relocates to a state. The patient underwent treatment for sarcoma when he was
age 11 years, including an above-the-knee amputation. He has learned to
successfully navigate with a prosthetic leg and even engage in competitive
athletics at school. He does not like to speak of his experience with cancer and
often makes up humorous stories to tell new acquaintances about his amputation
(such as, "I got bit by a squirrel and they had to amputate."). Although he is very
well engaged in most of the visit with the new clinician, when the topic of cancer
arises, he demurs to his father, who accompanies him to this appointment. Which
of the following statements is most likely to be helpful in cementing the patient's
trust in the new provider
a. "That sounds like a frightening experience that you are recovering well from."
b. "You are becoming an adult
1|Page
, NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
a. "That sounds like a frightening experience that you are recovering well from."
A 29-year-old electrician complains of persistent cough and wheezing, particularly
when he exercises. He says he smokes "occasionally" but rarely so much that he
needs to purchase cigarettes: "Mostly, I bum them," he says, chuckling. Upon
hearing this information, what is the best next step on the part of the clinician?
a. Determine the patient's exercise regimen.
b. Determine the number of pack-years the patient smokes.
c. Conduct a mental status examination.
d. Explain the relationship between smoking and cancer.
e. Determine the patient's immunization history.
b. Determine the number of pack-years the patient smokes.
A 47-year-old fitness trainer visits the physician assistant (PA) because of skin
dryness, night sweats, and irregular menstrual periods. It is the PA's first contact
with this patient. The patient notes that "My sex life has really gone downhill
lately" and says that she is considering divorcing her husband of 20 years, stating
that "He's not a bad guy. I just think that I can do better." In which of the following
ways should the clinician proceed?
a. Obtain a menstrual history for the previous 6 months.
b. Help the patient review the pros and cons of divorce.
c. Inform the patient that menopause is a normal part of aging.
d. Conduct a breast examination.
e. Determine the patient's out-of-country travel history.
a. Obtain a menstrual history for the previous 6 months.
One important examination technique involves using the third fingers of each
hand to determine the health of internal organs. What is the name of this
technique?
a. Auscultation
2|Page
, NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
b. Percussion
c. Inspection
d. Palpation
e. Listening
b. Percussion
The CAGE questionnaire is a short screening examination administered in the
office to evaluate for which of the following?
a. Alcohol misuse
b. Risk for illicit substance abuse
c. Likelihood that the patient complaints are "psychosomatic"
d. Major depressive disorder
e. Bipolar disorder
a. Alcohol misuse
A 53-year-old caterer comes to the clinic for a routine examination. She has type 2
diabetes mellitus, which is well controlled on medication. Her history from her last
visit reveals that she smoked one pack of cigarettes a day at that time. The 5 As
Model is a useful approach to take with trying to help patients to quit smoking.
What is the 5 As Model?
a. Admonish, action, available, assess, alleviating factors
b. Agitate, assist, alleviating factors, able, action
c. Affable, associated manifestations, ask, admonish, available
d. Ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange
e. Arrange, aggravating factors, action, attitude, able
d. Ask, advise, assess, assist, arrange
A 21-year-old college student experiences tachycardia following a night of heavy
drinking. She is advised to undergo a stress electrocardiogram (ECG). As she
exercises, the recently calibrated pulse oximeter records a heart rate ranging from
25 beats per minute (bpm) at rest to 50 bpm while jogging. The test is stopped
3|Page
, NR 509 Advanced Physical Assessment Midterm Exam
and re-started twice, and each time the pulse oximeter yields a resting heart rate
of 25 and a jogging heart rate of 50. Which aspect of this instrument does the ECG
technician question?
a. Prevalence
b. Validity
c. Sensitivity
d. Specificity
e. Predictive value
b. Validity
A 51-year-old moderately overweight college professor visits the clinic with a
complaint of chest pain after tennis matches. He jokes that his tennis partner "is in
a lot better shape than I am" but says that he is trying to keep up. Later in the day,
a 28-year-old female student at the same college reports that "my chest often
feels hot and tight." She also feels stressed on the evening before mid-term
exams. The clinician recommends an immediate evaluation for coronary artery
disease (CAD) for the professor, but not for the student. Why?
a. Positive predictive value of an observation is higher in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
b. Positive predictive value of an observation is lower in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
c. Negative predictive value of an observation is lower in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
d. Negative predictive value of an observation is higher in a group
a. Positive predictive value of an observation is higher in a group with a higher
prevalence of disease.
A 23-year-old farm worker submits urine for testing. Three test strips from
Container A show abnormally low pH levels in the urine. However, three test strips
from Container B, purchased more recently, consistently indicate that the pH of
this patient's urine is normal. Which of the following is a true statement about the
4|Page
