Exam 4: Health History and Physical Examination

As the nurse assesses the patient's neck, the patient says, "My neck is so stiff I can hardly move it." This finding indicates the nurse should perform a(n)

The nurse is admitting a patient who has just arrived on the medical-surgical unit with severe abdominal pain. The action by the nurse that will be most effective in obtaining complete and accurate data from the patient is

Adaptations used by the nurse when performing a physical examination on an 86-year-old patient will include

When the nurse is gathering information of a personal nature, the question that best communicates acceptance of the patient is,

The nurse records the following general survey of a patient: "The patient is a 68-year-old male Asian attended by his wife and two daughters. Alert and oriented. Does not make eye contact with the nurse and responds slowly, but appropriately, to questions. No apparent disabilities or distinguishing features." Additional information that should be added to this general survey includes

During the health history interview, a patient tells the nurse about periodic fainting spells. In gathering more specific information, the question that will best assist in determining the setting where the fainting spells occur is,

A patient is seen in the emergency department with acute nausea and vomiting. The nurse obtains information about the length of time that the patient has been nauseated, the approximate amount of the emesis, and performs a physical assessment of the patient's abdomen. This will be described as a/an

A patient having difficulty breathing is admitted to the hospital. The best approach for the nurse to use to obtain a complete health history is to

The nurse is preparing to perform a screening physical examination for a patient. The assessment technique that will require a stethoscope is

A patient is admitted to the orthopedic unit with a fractured right elbow following a skiing accident. During the initial nursing assessment, the subjective information the nurse obtains from the patient about how the injury occurred and what treatments have been implemented is related to the functional health pattern of

While the nurse is taking the health history, a patient states, "My father and grandfather both had heart attacks and were unable to be very active afterwards." This statement is related to the functional health pattern of

Immediate surgery is planned for a patient with acute abdominal pain. The question used by the nurse that will elicit the most complete information about the patient's coping-stress tolerance pattern is

All the following information is obtained by the nurse while performing a health history and physical examination from a patient with right-sided rib fractures. The pertinent negative finding is that the patient

Following knee surgery, the patient has an elastic bandage applied to the surgical site. When assessing the circulation to the lower leg, the first action the nurse will take is to

In performing a physical examination, it is most important for the nurse to use