HESI- Health Assessment 2023 Exam
with Complete Solutions Graded A+
The nurse is setting up the physical environment for an interview with a client and plans to obtain subjective data regarding the client's health. Which interventions are appropriate? Select all that apply.
A.Set the room temperature at a comfortable level.
B.Remove distracting objects from the interviewing area.
C.Place a chair for the client across from the nurse's desk.
D.Ensure comfortable seating at eye level for the client and nurse.
E.Provide seating for the so that the faces a strong light.
F.Ensure that the distance between the client and the nurse is at least 7 feet. - Correct Answer Correct Answers: A, B, and D
Rationale:When preparing the physical environment for an interview, the nurse would set the room temperature at a comfortable level. The nurse would provide sufficient lighting for the client and nurse to see each other. The nurse would avoid having the client face a strong light because the client would have to squint into the full light. Distracting objects and equipment need to be removed from the interview area. The nurse would arrange seating so that the nurse and client are seated comfortably at eye level, and the nurse avoids facing the client across a desk or table, because this creates
a barrier. The distance between the nurse and the client would be set by the nurse at 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters). If the nurse places the client any closer, the nurse will be invading the client's private space and may create anxiety in the client. If the nurse places the client farther away, the nurse may be seen as distant and aloof by the client.
After performing an initial abdominal assessment on a client with nausea and vomiting, the nurse would expect to note which finding?
A. Waves of loud gurgles auscultated in all four quadrants.
B. Low-pitched swishing auscultated in one or two quadrants.
C. Relatively high-pitched clicks or gurgles auscultated in one or two quadrants.
D. Very high pitched, loud rushes auscultated in especially in one or two quadrants. - Correct Answer Correct Answer: A
Rationale:Although frequency and intensity of bowel sounds vary, depending on the phase of digestion, normal bowel sounds are relatively high-pitched clicks or gurgles. Loud gurgles (borborygmi) indicate hyperperistalsis and are commonly associated with nausea and vomiting. A swishing or buzzing sound represents turbulent blood flow associated with a bruit. Bruits are not normal sounds. Bowel sounds are very high-
pitched and loud (hyperresonance) when the intestines are under tension, such as in intestinal obstruction. Therefore, options 2, 3, and 4 are incorrect. The nurse is performing a neurological assessment on a client and elicits a positive Romberg's sign. The nurse makes this determination based on which observation?
A. An involuntary rhythmic, rapid twitching of the eyeballs.
B. A dorsiflexion of the ankle and great toe with fanning of the other toes.
C. A significant sway when the client stands erect with feet together, arms at the side and the eyes closed.
D. A lack of sense of position when the client is unable to return extended fingers to a point of reference. - Correct Answer Correct Answer: C
Rationale:In Romberg's test, the client is asked to stand with the feet together and the arms at the sides, and to close the eyes and hold the position; normally the client can maintain posture and balance. A positive Romberg's sign is a vestibular neurological sign that is found when a client exhibits a loss of balance when closing the eyes. This may occur with cerebellar ataxia, loss of proprioception, and loss of vestibular function. A lack of normal sense of position coupled with an inability to return extended fingers to a point of reference is a finding that indicates a problem with coordination. A positive gaze nystagmus evaluation results in an involuntary rhythmic, rapid twitching of the eyeballs. A positive Babinski's test results in dorsiflexion of the ankle and great toe with fanning of the other toes; if this occurs in anyone older than 2 years, it indicates the presence of central nervous system disease.
A client with pneumonia is admitted to the hospital with difficulty breathing. Which is the best approach for the nurse to use in obtaining the client's health history?
A.Focus only on the physical assessment.
B.Obtain all history information from the family members.
C.Plan short sessions with the client to obtain data.
D.Use the primary healthcare provider's medical history. - Correct Answer Correct Answer: C
Rationale:The best source of information is the client. Option 1 is incorrect; the physical examination is not part of the health history. Option 2 is incorrect because it refers to all information. Option 4 is incorrect because the primary health care provider's medical history provides data that are different from the nurse's assessment. All efforts need to be made to obtain as much information as possible from the client, using short sessions
and closed-ended questions.
The nurse is assessing a client for meningeal irritation and elicits a positive Brudzinski's sign. Which finding did the nurse observe?
A.The client rigidly extends the arms with pronated forearms and plantar flexion of the feet.
B.The client flexes a leg at the hip and knee and reports pain in the vertebral column when the leg is extended. C.The client passively flexes his hip and knee in response to neck flexion and reports pain in the vertebral column.
D.The client's upper arms are flexed and held tightly to the sides of the body and the legs are extended and internally rotated. - Correct Answer Correct Answer:C
Rationale:Brudzinski's sign is tested with the client in the supine position. The nurse flexes the client's head (gently moves the head to the chest), and there would be no reports of pain or resistance to the neck flexion. A positive Brudzinski's sign is observed if the client passively flexes the hip and knee in response to neck flexion and reports pain in the vertebral column. Kernig's sign also tests for meningeal irritation and is positive when the client flexes the legs at the hip and knee and complains of pain along the vertebral column when the leg is extended. Decorticate posturing is abnormal flexion and is noted when the client's upper arms are flexed and held tightly to the sides of the body and the legs are extended and internally rotated. Decerebrate posturing is abnormal extension and occurs when the arms are fully extended, forearms pronated, wrists and fingers flexed, jaws clenched, neck extended, and feet plantar-flexed.
The nurse is testing a client for astereognosis. The nurse would ask the client to close the eyes and perform which action?
A.Identify three numbers or letters traced in the client's palm.
B.Identify an object in the client's hand.
C.State whether one or two pinpricks are felt when the skin is pricked bilaterally in the same place.
D.Identify the smallest distance between two detectable pinpricks, made with two pins held at various lengths. - Correct Answer Correct Answer: B
Rationale:Astereognosis is the inability to discern the form or configuration of common objects using the sense of touch. Graphesthesia is the inability to recognize the form of written symbols. The remaining options test for extinction phenomena and two-point stimulation, respectively.
The nurse performing a neurological examination is assessing eye movement to evaluate cranial nerves III, IV, and VI. Using a flashlight, the nurse would perform which action to obtain the assessment data?
A. Turn the flashlight on directly in front of the eye and watch for a response.
B. Check pupil size, and then ask the client to alternate looking at the flashlight and the examiners finger.
C. Instruct the client to look straight ahead, and then shine the flashlight from the temporal area to the eye.
D. Ask the client to follow the flashlight through the six cardinal positions of gaze - Correct Answer Correct Answer: D
Rationale:The nurse asks the client to follow the flashlight through the six cardinal positions of gaze to assess for eye movement related to cranial nerves III, IV, and VI. Options 1 and 3 relate to pupillary response to light. Also, shining the light directly into the client's eye without asking the client to focus on a distant object is not an appropriate technique. Option 4 assesses accommodation of the eye.
The nurse is monitoring a client for signs of hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy. Which sign or symptom, if noted in the client, would most likely indicate the presence of hypocalcemia?
A. Bradycardia
B. Flaccid paralysis
C. Tingling around the mouth
D. Absence of Chvostek's sign - Correct Answer Correct Answer: C
Rationale:After thyroidectomy the nurse assesses the client for signs of hypocalcemia and tetany. Early signs inclfingertips, muscle twitching or spasms, palpitations or aude tingling around the mouth and in the rrhythmias, and Chvostek's and Trousseau's signs.
Bradycardia, flaccid paralysis, and absence of Chvostek's sign are not signs of hypocalcemia.
The nurse is caring for a client with a new diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Which clinical manifestations might the nurse expect to note on examination of this client? Select all that apply.
A.Irritability
B.Periorbital edema
C.Coarse, brittle hair
D.Slow or slurred speech
E.Abdominal distention
F.Soft, silky, thinning hair - Correct Answer Correct Answer: B, C, D,E
Rationale:The manifestations of hypothyroidism are the result of decreased metabolism from low levels of thyroid hormones. The client may exhibit skin manifestations, such as
coarse, brittle hair; thick, brittle nails; coarse, scaly skin; delayed wound healing; periorbital edema; and face puffiness. Neuromuscular manifestations include lethargy, slow or slurred speech, and impaired memory. Gastrointestinal manifestations include complaints of constipation, weight gain, and abdominal distention. Irritability and soft, silky, thinning hair on the scalp are manifestations of hyperthyroidism.
A nursing student is performing a respiratory assessment on an adult client and is assessing for tactile fremitus. Which action by the nursing student indicates a need for further teaching?
A.Palpating over the lung apices in the supraclavicular area
B.Asking the client to repeat the word ninety-nine during palpation
C.Palpating over the breast tissue to assess and compare vibrations from one side to the other
