Percussion over normal, air-filled lung tissue produces a resonant sound.
Correct Answer
True
True. Healthy lung tissue contains air and produces a hollow, resonant sound when tapped, so a change from resonance signals that something such as fluid or extra air is present.
Category: Examination Techniques
Question 2
Wheezes are continuous, musical sounds produced as air moves through narrowed airways.
Correct Answer
True
True. Wheezes occur when airways narrow, as in asthma or bronchospasm, and they are continuous rather than brief and popping like crackles.
Category: Lung and Heart Findings
Question 3
Delayed capillary refill suggests good blood flow to the extremity.
Correct Answer
False
False. Color should return quickly after a nail bed is pressed. Slow return suggests reduced peripheral perfusion, which needs further assessment.
Category: Skin and Circulation
Question 4
In the review of systems, a negative finding means the symptom is present.
Correct Answer
False
False. A positive finding means the sign or symptom is present, and a negative finding means it is absent.
Category: Health History
Question 5
The medication history should include only prescription drugs, because over-the-counter products and herbal remedies rarely affect care.
Correct Answer
False
False. The nurse asks about prescriptions, over-the-counter products, supplements, vitamins, and herbal remedies, because any of them can interact with treatment or cause symptoms.
Category: Health History
Question 6
Asking how a patient actually takes each medication can reveal problems that simply asking whether the patient takes it would miss.
Correct Answer
True
True. Patients may take a drug at the wrong time, skip doses, or use it differently than prescribed, and only asking how they take it brings this out during medication reconciliation.
Category: Health History
Question 7
A focused health history explores every body system in depth regardless of the chief complaint.
Correct Answer
False
False. A focused health history is tailored to the chief complaint. A comprehensive health history is the one that addresses the patient's health in depth.
Category: Health History
Question 8
A strong social support network is a protective factor for a patient's health.
Correct Answer
True
True. Support from family, friends, and community helps patients cope and follow care plans, whereas social isolation is a risk factor.
Category: Health History
Question 9
Looking at the computer screen throughout an interview helps patients feel that the nurse is listening.
Correct Answer
False
False. Focusing on the screen can make patients feel ignored. The nurse keeps attention on the patient and explains that documenting supports their care.
Category: Patient Communication
Question 10
Establishing and maintaining professional boundaries is the nurse's responsibility, not the patient's.
Correct Answer
True
True. The nurse holds more power in the relationship, so the nurse is responsible for setting boundaries that keep the patient the focus of care.
Category: Patient Communication
Question 11
Sitting at the patient's level during an interview is less intimidating than standing over the patient.
Correct Answer
True
True. Being at the same level and facing the patient shows attention and respect, while standing over the patient can feel intimidating.
Category: Patient Communication
Question 12
Yes-or-no questions can be useful when a language barrier exists and only basic information is needed.
Correct Answer
True
True. Open-ended questions are usually preferred, but simple closed questions can help gather essential information quickly when communication is limited.
Category: Patient Communication
Question 13
American Sign Language is a signed version of spoken English, so translation errors do not occur.
Correct Answer
False
False. American Sign Language is its own language and is not based on spoken English, so mistranslations can occur, which is why a qualified interpreter is used.
Category: Patient Communication
Question 14
In acute care settings, comprehensive physical assessments are used more often than focused or bedside assessments.
Correct Answer
False
False. Acute care nurses mostly use bedside and focused assessments. The comprehensive physical assessment is more valuable in primary care.
Category: Assessment Types and Safety
Question 15
A bedside assessment done at the start of a shift establishes a baseline for recognizing later changes.
Correct Answer
True
True. Normal and abnormal findings recorded early in the shift give the nurse a point of comparison, so a change in the patient's condition is noticed quickly.
Category: Assessment Types and Safety
Question 16
Redness at the injection site after a vaccine shows that the patient is allergic to vaccines.
Correct Answer
False
False. Redness at the injection site is a common side effect of vaccines, not necessarily an allergy, so the nurse asks exactly what reaction occurred before recording an allergy.
Category: Health History
Question 17
Absent bowel sounds are an expected finding in a patient who is eating and passing stool normally.
Correct Answer
False
False. Bowel sounds are normally present when the gut is working. Absent sounds suggest that intestinal movement has stopped, which needs prompt follow-up.
Category: Examination Techniques
Question 18
The general survey is completed at the end of a head-to-toe assessment.
Correct Answer
False
False. The general survey of appearance, behavior, hygiene, and vital signs comes first and guides the rest of the exam.
Category: Assessment Types and Safety
Question 19
Asking about suicidal thoughts is part of the safety assessment.
Correct Answer
True
True. The safety and surroundings assessment includes suicidal ideation along with fall risk, identification, and other hazards, so that harm can be prevented.
Category: Assessment Types and Safety
Question 20
A sudden change in a patient's level of consciousness is an abnormal finding that should be reported promptly.
Correct Answer
True
True. A drop in alertness can signal problems such as low oxygen, low blood glucose, or brain injury, so the nurse reports it right away.
Category: Head and Neuro Findings