Deck 5: The Complete Health History

Question 1

A 5-year-old boy is being admitted to the hospital to have his tonsils removed.Which of the following information should be collected before this procedure?

A)The child's birth weight
B)The age at which he started to crawl
C)Whether he has had the measles
D)Reactions to previous hospitalizations

Answer 1

Reactions to previous hospitalizations

Question 2

In response to a question about use of alcohol,a patient asks the nurse why the nurse needs that information.What reason would the nurse give the patient?

A)This is necessary to determine the patient's reliability.
B)Alcohol can interact with medications and can make some diseases worse.
C)The nurse is required to teach the patient about the dangers of alcohol use.
D)It is not really necessary to ask for this information unless there is an obvious drinking problem.

Answer 2

Alcohol can interact with medications and can make some diseases worse.

Question 3

Which of the following responses might the nurse expect during the functional assessment of a patient whose leg is in a cast?

A)"I broke my right leg in a car accident 2 weeks ago."
B)"The pain is getting less,but I still need to take Tylenol."
C)"I check the colour of my toes every evening just like I was taught."
D)"I'm able to transfer myself from the wheelchair to the bed without help."

Answer 3

"I'm able to transfer myself from the wheelchair to the bed without help."

Question 4

A 29-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has "excruciating pain" in her back.Which of the following would be an appropriate response by the nurse?

A)"How does your family react to your pain?"
B)"That must be terrible.You probably pinched a nerve."
C)"I've had back pain myself,and I know it can be excruciating."
D)"How would you say the pain affects your ability to carry on your daily activities?"

Question 5

In response to a question about stress,a 39-year-old woman tells the nurse that her husband and mother both died in the past year.Which of the following responses by the nurse is most appropriate?

A)"This has been a difficult year for you."
B)"I don't know how anyone could handle that much stress in one year!"
C)"What did you do to cope with the loss of your husband and your mother?"
D)"That is a lot of stress;now let's go on to the next section of your history."

Question 6

The nurse is taking a patient's family history.Important diseases or problems to ask the patient about include:

A)emphysema.
B)head trauma.
C)mental health issues.
D)fractured bones.

Question 7

The review of systems provides the nurse with:

A)physical findings related to each system.
B)information regarding health promotion practices.
C)an opportunity to teach the patient medical terms.
D)information necessary for the nurse to diagnose the patient's medical problem.

Question 8

Which of the following statements represents subjective data about the patient's skin?

A)Skin dry in appearance
B)No obvious lesions
C)Denies colour change
D)Lesion noted lateral aspect right arm

Question 9

A 59-year-old patient tells the nurse that he is in the clinic to "check up on his ulcerative colitis." He has been having "black stools" in the last 24 hours.How would the nurse document his reason for seeking care?

A)J.M.is a 59-year-old male here for "ulcerative colitis."
B)J.M.came into the clinic complaining of black stools in the past 24 hours.
C)J.M. ,a 59-year-old male,states he has ulcerative colitis and wants to have it checked up.
D)J.M.is a 59-year-old male here for having "black stools" in the past 24 hours.

Question 10

Which of the following statements best describes the purpose of a health history?

A)To provide an opportunity for interaction between patient and nurse
B)To provide a form for obtaining the patient's biographical information
C)To document the normal and abnormal findings of a physical assessment
D)To provide a database of subjective information about the patient's past and current health

Question 11

While obtaining the history from the mother of a 2-year-old with pneumonia,the nurse asks the mother if she smoked or used drugs during her pregnancy.Her response is,"What does that have to do with pneumonia?" How would the nurse answer her question?

A)"You don't need to answer if it makes you uncomfortable."
B)"It's not really that important;we have to ask everyone these questions."
C)"The use of tobacco during your pregnancy could be the cause of your daughter's pneumonia."
D)"Knowing about your pregnancy will help us get a more complete picture of your daughter's health."

Question 12

In obtaining a review of systems on a "healthy" 7-year-old girl,the health care provider knows that it would be important to include the:

A)last glaucoma examination.
B)frequency of breast self-examination.
C)date of her last electrocardiogram.
D)limitations related to her involvement in sports activities.

Question 13

A patient tells the nurse that she has been experiencing abdominal pain for the past week.Which of the following would be the best response by the nurse?

A)"Can you point to where it hurts?"
B)"We'll talk more about that later in the interview."
C)"What have you had to eat in the last 24 hours?"
D)"Have you ever had any surgeries on your abdomen?"

Question 14

What question would you initially ask a patient who has a positive tuberculin test?

A)Have you recently been hospitalized?
B)Are you a member of the homeless population?
C)Have you received bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG)?
D)Have you been out of the country over the past 3 months?

Question 15

The nurse is obtaining a history from a 30-year-old male patient and is concerned about the adequacy of his health promotion activities.Which one of the following questions would be appropriate in this situation?

A)"Do you perform testicular self-examinations?"
B)"Have you ever noticed any pain in your testicles?"
C)"Have you had any problems with passing urine?"
D)"Do you have any history of sexually transmitted infection?"

Question 16

The mother of a 16-month-old toddler tells the nurse that her daughter has an earache.Which of the following would be an appropriate response?

A)"Maybe she is just teething."
B)"I will check her ear for any ear infection."
C)"Are you sure she is really having pain?"
D)"Please describe what she is doing to indicate she is having pain."

Question 17

When the nurse is evaluating the reliability of a patient's responses,which of the following would be a correct assessment?

A)The patient has a history of drug abuse and therefore is not reliable.
B)The patient provided consistent information and therefore is reliable.
C)The patient smiled throughout the interview and therefore can be presumed reliable.
D)The patient would not answer questions concerning stress and therefore is not reliable.

Question 18

A patient tells the nurse that she has had six pregnancies,with four live births at term and two spontaneous abortions.Her four children are still living.How would the nurse record this information?

A)P-6,B-4,(S)Ab-2
B)G6,T4,A2,L4
C)Patient has had four living babies.
D)Patient has been pregnant six times.

Question 19

In recording the childhood illnesses of a patient,who denies having had any,which of the following notes by the nurse would be most accurate?

A)Patient denies having had the usual childhood illnesses.
B)Patient states he was a "very healthy" child.
C)Patient states sister had measles,but he did not.
D)Patient denies having had measles,mumps,rubella,chickenpox,pertussis,or strep throat.

Question 20

A patient tells the nurse that he is allergic to penicillin.Which of the following would be the nurse's best response to this information?

A)"Are you allergic to any other drugs?"
B)"How often have you received penicillin?"
C)"I'll record your allergy information on your chart,so you won't receive any."
D)"Please describe what happens to you when you take penicillin."

Question 21

When using the mnemonic PQRSTU to help remember all the points of a patient's perception of his or her problem,what does the "S" signify?

A)Swelling
B)Subjectivity
C)Severity
D)Symptoms

Question 22

Which of the following best describes the purpose of a functional assessment?

A)It assesses how the individual is coping with life at home.
B)It determines how children are meeting developmental milestones.
C)It can identify any memory problems an individual may be experiencing.
D)In the case of the older adult,it helps determine how that person is managing day-to-day activities.

Question 23

Which of the following is the appropriate health promotion question to ask during a review of symptoms?

A)"Do you use sunscreen while outside?"
B)"I need to see if your skin is warm and dry."
C)"Have you experienced any dizziness or headaches?"
D)"When you cough,what colour is the sputum you bring up?"

Question 24

The nurse is assessing a new patient who has recently immigrated to Canada.Which of the following questions is appropriate to add to the health history questionnaire?

A)"Why did you come to Canada?"
B)"When did you come to Canada,and from which country?"
C)"What made you leave your home country?"
D)"Are you planning to return to your home country?"

Question 25

A 90-year-old patient tells the nurse that he is unable to remember the names of the medications he is taking or what they are for.An appropriate response would be:

A)"Can you tell me what they look like?"
B)"Don't worry about it.You are only taking two."
C)"How long have you been taking each of these pills?"
D)"Would you ask your family to bring in your medications?"

Question 26

The nurse is performing a review of systems on a 76-year-old patient.Which of the following statements is correct for this situation?

A)The questions asked are identical for all ages.
B)The interviewer will start incorporating different questions for patients 70 years of age and older.
C)Additional questions are reflective of the normal effects of aging.
D)At this age,a review of systems is not necessary;just focus on current problems.

Question 27

Which of the following is an example of a symptom?

A)Chest pain
B)Clammy skin
C)Serum potassium level 4.2 mmol/L
D)A temperature of 37°C

Question 28

The nurse is performing a health assessment on a 16-year-old girl,who has been brought to the clinic by her parents.Which of the following instructions would be appropriate for the parents before the interview begins?

A)"Please stay with your daughter during the interview;you can answer for her if she is not able to."
B)"It would help to interview the three of you together."
C)"While I interview your daughter,will you please stay in the room and complete these family health history questionnaires?"
D)"While I interview your daughter,will you step out to the waiting room and complete these family health history questionnaires?"

Question 29

The nurse is performing a functional assessment on an 82-year-old patient who recently had a stroke.Which of the following questions would be the most important to ask?

A)"Do you wear glasses?"
B)"Are you able to dress yourself?"
C)"Do you have any thyroid problems?"
D)"How many times a day do you have a bowel movement?"

Question 30

To which part of the assessment is information about who lives with a child,the method of disciplining,and support system related?

A)Family history
B)Review of systems
C)Functional assessment
D)Reason for seeking care

Question 31

A patient is describing his symptoms to the nurse.Which of the following statements is a description of the setting of his symptoms?

A)"It is a sharp,burning pain in my stomach."
B)"I also have the sweats and nausea when I feel this pain."
C)"I think this pain is telling me that something is wrong with me."
D)"This pain happens every time I sit down to use the computer."

Question 32

The nurse is assessing a patient's headache pain.Which of the following questions reflect the critical characteristics of symptoms that should be assessed? (Select all that apply. )

A)"Where is the headache pain?"
B)"Did you have these headaches as a child?"
C)"On a scale of 1 to 10,how bad is the pain?"
D)"How often do the headaches occur?"
E)"What makes the headaches better?"
F) “Do you have any family history of headaches?”
G)"What do you think is causing these headaches?"

Question 33

The nurse is obtaining the health history of an 87-year-old woman.Which of the following areas of questioning would be most useful at this time?

A)Obstetrical history
B)Childhood illnesses
C)General health for the past 20 years
D)Current health promotion activities