NUR 309 Final Exam Questions And
Answers
An 85-year-old patient comments during his annual physical that he seems to be getting shorter
as he ages. The nurse should explain that decreased height occurs with aging because:
a. long bones tend to shorten with age
b. of the shortening of the vertebral column
c. there is a significant loss of subcutaneous fat
d. there is a thickening of the intervertebral disks - ANS B
A patient who has had rheumatoid arthritis for years comes to the clinic to ask about changes in
her fingers. The nurse will assess for signs of what problems?
a. Heberden's nodes
b. Bouchard's nodules
c. Swan neck deformities
d. Dupuytren's contractures - ANS C
The nurse has completed the musculoskeletal examination of a patient's knee and has found a
positive bulge sign. The nurse interprets this finding to indicate
a. Irregular bony margins
b. Soft tissue swelling in the joint
c. Swelling from fluid in the epicondyle
d. Swelling from fluid in the suprapatellar pouch - ANS D
To palpate the temporomandibular joint, the nurse's fingers should be placed in the depression
_______ of the ear
Selected Answer:
a. distal to the helix
b. proximal to the helix
c. anterior to the tragus
d. posterior to the tragus - ANS C
A 13-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department with an injury to his left ankle after a
skateboard accident. X-rays of the ankle show a fracture of the epiphysis in the tibia. The major
concern with this client's findings is
,a. Due to the client's age there is slower healing
b. He will no longer be able to skateboard after the fracture has healed
c. The fracture is at the epiphysis
d. Tibial fractures lead to osteoarthritis - ANS C
After a physical assessment, the nurse determines that a client has full range of motion of the
temporomandibular joint. What did the nurse assess in this client? Select all that apply
a. Opened and closed the jaw
b. Jutted the jaw forward
c. Extended the tongue
d. Swallowed without difficulty
e. Moved the jaw sideways - ANS ABE
Which of the following would the nurse interpret as a positive response to the Phalen test for a
client suspected of having carpal tunnel syndrome?
a. Atrophy of the thenar prominence
b. No tingling
c. Hard, painless Bouchard nodes
d. Numbness - ANS D
A female client presents to the office with chronic unilateral pain when chewing. She does not
have facial or scalp tenderness. Which of the following is the most likely cause of her pain?
a. Trigeminal neuralgia
b. Temporal arteritis
c. Temporomandibular joint syndrome
d. Tumor of the mandible - ANS C
A 38-year-old woman presents with multiple small joints that are symmetrically involved with
pain, swelling and stiffness. She also has a low grade fever. Which of the following is the most
likely explanation?
a. Rheumatoid arthritis
b. Septic arthritis
c. Gout
d. Trauma - ANS A
A 50-year-old man has sought care because of the intense shoulder pain that resulted when he
threw a baseball to home plate from the outfield the previous evening. The client states that he
has never had problems with his shoulder previously. The nurse has asked the client to slowly
, abduct his affected arm to shoulder level and maintain the position. Which of the following
shoulder problems does the nurse suspect?
a. Calcific tendinitis
b. Bicipital tendinitis
c. Adhesive capsulitis
d. Rotator cuff tear - ANS D
A 30-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has been very unsteady and has had difficulty in
maintaining her balance. Which area of the brain would the nurse be concerned about with
these findings?
a. Thalamus
b. Brainstem
c. Cerebellum
d. Extrapyramidal tract - ANS C
During the history, a patient tells the nurse that "it feels like the room is spinning around me."
The nurse would document this as
a. vertigo
b. syncope
c. dizziness
d. seizure activity - ANS A
When taking the history on a patient with a seizure disorder, the nurse assesses whether the
patient has an aura. Which of these would be the best question for obtaining this information?
a. "Does your muscle tone seem tense or limp?"
b. "After the seizure, do you spend a lot of time sleeping?"
c. "Do you have any warning sign before your seizure starts?"
d. "Do you experience any color change or incontinence during the seizure?" - ANS C
During an assessment of the cranial nerves, the nurse finds the following: asymmetry when the
patient smiles or frowns, uneven lifting of eyebrows, sagging of the lower eyelids, and escape of
air when the nurse presses against the right puffed cheek. This would indicate dysfunction of
which of these cranial nerves?
a. Motor component of IV
b. Motor component of VII
c. Motor and sensory components of XI
d. Motor component of X and sensory component of VII - ANS B
Answers
An 85-year-old patient comments during his annual physical that he seems to be getting shorter
as he ages. The nurse should explain that decreased height occurs with aging because:
a. long bones tend to shorten with age
b. of the shortening of the vertebral column
c. there is a significant loss of subcutaneous fat
d. there is a thickening of the intervertebral disks - ANS B
A patient who has had rheumatoid arthritis for years comes to the clinic to ask about changes in
her fingers. The nurse will assess for signs of what problems?
a. Heberden's nodes
b. Bouchard's nodules
c. Swan neck deformities
d. Dupuytren's contractures - ANS C
The nurse has completed the musculoskeletal examination of a patient's knee and has found a
positive bulge sign. The nurse interprets this finding to indicate
a. Irregular bony margins
b. Soft tissue swelling in the joint
c. Swelling from fluid in the epicondyle
d. Swelling from fluid in the suprapatellar pouch - ANS D
To palpate the temporomandibular joint, the nurse's fingers should be placed in the depression
_______ of the ear
Selected Answer:
a. distal to the helix
b. proximal to the helix
c. anterior to the tragus
d. posterior to the tragus - ANS C
A 13-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department with an injury to his left ankle after a
skateboard accident. X-rays of the ankle show a fracture of the epiphysis in the tibia. The major
concern with this client's findings is
,a. Due to the client's age there is slower healing
b. He will no longer be able to skateboard after the fracture has healed
c. The fracture is at the epiphysis
d. Tibial fractures lead to osteoarthritis - ANS C
After a physical assessment, the nurse determines that a client has full range of motion of the
temporomandibular joint. What did the nurse assess in this client? Select all that apply
a. Opened and closed the jaw
b. Jutted the jaw forward
c. Extended the tongue
d. Swallowed without difficulty
e. Moved the jaw sideways - ANS ABE
Which of the following would the nurse interpret as a positive response to the Phalen test for a
client suspected of having carpal tunnel syndrome?
a. Atrophy of the thenar prominence
b. No tingling
c. Hard, painless Bouchard nodes
d. Numbness - ANS D
A female client presents to the office with chronic unilateral pain when chewing. She does not
have facial or scalp tenderness. Which of the following is the most likely cause of her pain?
a. Trigeminal neuralgia
b. Temporal arteritis
c. Temporomandibular joint syndrome
d. Tumor of the mandible - ANS C
A 38-year-old woman presents with multiple small joints that are symmetrically involved with
pain, swelling and stiffness. She also has a low grade fever. Which of the following is the most
likely explanation?
a. Rheumatoid arthritis
b. Septic arthritis
c. Gout
d. Trauma - ANS A
A 50-year-old man has sought care because of the intense shoulder pain that resulted when he
threw a baseball to home plate from the outfield the previous evening. The client states that he
has never had problems with his shoulder previously. The nurse has asked the client to slowly
, abduct his affected arm to shoulder level and maintain the position. Which of the following
shoulder problems does the nurse suspect?
a. Calcific tendinitis
b. Bicipital tendinitis
c. Adhesive capsulitis
d. Rotator cuff tear - ANS D
A 30-year-old woman tells the nurse that she has been very unsteady and has had difficulty in
maintaining her balance. Which area of the brain would the nurse be concerned about with
these findings?
a. Thalamus
b. Brainstem
c. Cerebellum
d. Extrapyramidal tract - ANS C
During the history, a patient tells the nurse that "it feels like the room is spinning around me."
The nurse would document this as
a. vertigo
b. syncope
c. dizziness
d. seizure activity - ANS A
When taking the history on a patient with a seizure disorder, the nurse assesses whether the
patient has an aura. Which of these would be the best question for obtaining this information?
a. "Does your muscle tone seem tense or limp?"
b. "After the seizure, do you spend a lot of time sleeping?"
c. "Do you have any warning sign before your seizure starts?"
d. "Do you experience any color change or incontinence during the seizure?" - ANS C
During an assessment of the cranial nerves, the nurse finds the following: asymmetry when the
patient smiles or frowns, uneven lifting of eyebrows, sagging of the lower eyelids, and escape of
air when the nurse presses against the right puffed cheek. This would indicate dysfunction of
which of these cranial nerves?
a. Motor component of IV
b. Motor component of VII
c. Motor and sensory components of XI
d. Motor component of X and sensory component of VII - ANS B
