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During physical assessment, a nurse inspects a patient's abdomen. What assessment technique does the nurse perform next?
- A. Percussion
- B. Palpation
- C. Auscultation
- D. Whichever provides patient comfort
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When assessing the abdomen, the sequence for assessment is: inspection, auscultation, percussion, and palpation. Auscultation follows inspection to avoid stimulating bowel sounds during percussion.
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A nurse is caring for a patient with exacerbation of COPD and pneumonia. When auscultating the lungs, coarse expiratory, low-pitched, and continuous sounds that clear with coughing are present. How will the nurse document this breath sound in the electronic health record?
- A. Rhonchi
- B. Bronchovesicular breath sounds
- C. Stridor
- D. Bronchial breath sounds
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Rhonchi are abnormal low-pitched, continuous breath sounds auscultated during inspiration and occasionally expiration, indicating that air is passing through or around secretions. Bronchovesicular breath sounds are normal sounds heard on inspiration and expiration. Stridor is a harsh, loud, high-pitched sound auscultated on inspiration indicating narrowing of the upper airway or presence of a foreign body. Bronchial sounds are normal blowing, hollow sounds, auscultated over the larynx and trachea.
A patient has come to the emergency department with symptoms of a stroke. During the assessment, the nurse asks the patient to raise their eyebrows, smile, and show their teeth to evaluate which cranial nerve?
- A. Olfactory
- B. Optic
- C. Facial
- D. Vagus
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Motor function of the facial nerve (cranial nerve VII) is assessed by asking the patient to raise their eyebrow, smile, and show their teeth. The olfactory nerve (cranial nerve I) is tested by testing the sense of smell using various familiar substances. The nurse tests the optic nerve (cranial nerve II) for acuity and visual fields and the vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) by asking the patient to swallow and speak, noting hoarseness.
A nursing student is learning to perform physical assessments. When will the student use the technique of palpation? Select all that apply.
- A. Assessing temperature of a patient's feet
- B. Counting the apical pulse
- C. Assessing for skin turgor
- D. Evaluating lymph nodes
- E. Assessing for dullness over a tumor
- F. Finding a heart murmur
Correct Answer: A,C,D
Rationale: During palpation, the nurse uses the sense of touch to compare bilateral pulses for symmetrical temperature, assess skin turgor, and check for enlarged lymph nodes. During percussion, the fingertips are used to tap the body over body tissues to produce vibrations and sound waves. The characteristics of the sounds provide information about the location, shape, size, and density of tissues, such as dullness over a mass or fluid accumulation. Auscultation refers to listening with a stethoscope to sounds produced in the body; counting the apical pulse or auscultating heart sounds/murmurs are examples.
When inspecting the skin of a patient who has cirrhosis of the liver, the nurse notes the skin has a yellow tint. What term will the nurse use to document the skin assessment in the electronic health record?
- A. Jaundice
- B. Cyanosis
- C. Erythema
- D. Pallor
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Jaundice refers to a yellowish skin color caused by liver, gallbladder, or pancreatic diseases. Cyanosis is a bluish skin color caused by a cold environment or decreased oxygenation. Erythema is a reddish color caused by blushing, alcohol intake, fever, injury trauma, or infection. Pallor is a paleness caused by anemia or shock.
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is caring for a group of patients. For which patient will the nurse perform a focused assessment?
- A. Newly admitted
- B. Recent application of a wrist cast
- C. Signs of acute respiratory distress
- D. Post-abdominal surgery without complications
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: After application of a cast, the nurse performs a focused neurovascular assessment, to assess circulation, sensation, and motor ability. A newly admitted patient requires a comprehensive assessment. The nurse performs an emergency assessment on a patient who presents with signs of acute respiratory difficulty. A postoperative patient without complications will receive ongoing assessments at regular intervals to evaluate the effectiveness of care and to assess for new problems.