Exam 8: Assessment Techniques and the Clinical Setting

The nurse is preparing to assess a patient's abdomen by palpation.How should the nurse proceed?

The inspection phase of the physical assessment:

MATCHING The nurse is preparing to palpate the thorax and abdomen of a patient.For each description listed below,specify the appropriate part of the hand that should be used for palpation. -Fingertips

In infants,the nurse knows to elicit the Moro reflex:

The nurse is unable to palpate the right radial pulse on a patient.The best action would be to:

A man is at the clinic for a physical examination.He states that he is "very anxious" about the physical exam.What steps can the examiner take to make him more comfortable?

The nurse is preparing to percuss the thorax of an adult.Which technique is correct?

When examining an infant,the nurse should examine which area first?

During an examination of a patient's abdomen,the nurse notes that the abdomen is rounded and firm to the touch.During percussion,the nurse notes a drum-like quality of the sound across the quadrants.This type of sound indicates:

Which of the following techniques uses the sense of touch when assessing a patient?

A 6-month-old infant has been brought to the well-child clinic for a check-up.She is currently sleeping.What should the examiner do first?

When examining a 16-year-old male teenager,the examiner should:

Which of the following statements is true regarding the use of standard precautions in the health care setting?

Before auscultating the abdomen for the presence of bowel sounds on a patient,the nurse will:

With which of the following patients would it be most appropriate to use games during the assessment,such as,having the patient "blow out" the light on the penlight?

During the examination,it is often appropriate to offer some brief teaching about the patient's body or one's findings.Which of the following statements by the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse is assessing a patient's skin during an office visit.What is the best technique to use to best assess the patient's skin temperature?

When performing a physical examination,safety must be considered to protect the examiner and the patient against the spread of infection.Which of the following statements describes the most appropriate actions the examiner should take when performing a physical examination?

The most important reason to share information and offer brief teaching while performing the physical examination is to help:

The most important step that the nurse can take to prevent transmission of nosocomial infections in the hospital setting is to: