ATI RN
health assessment practice questions Questions
Question 1 of 9
A 52-year-old patient complains of seeing occasional"floaters or spots" in front of his eyes. The nurse should:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because floaters are a common and typically benign phenomenon caused by condensed vitreous fibers in the eye. A nurse should educate the patient that floaters are usually not significant and do not require immediate intervention. Option A is incorrect because counting the number of floaters is unnecessary. Option B is incorrect because presuming glaucoma without proper assessment is inappropriate. Option C is incorrect because seeing occasional floaters is a common and normal occurrence in many individuals.
Question 2 of 9
During the examination of a patient in her third trimester of pregnancy, the nurse notices that the patient's thyroid gland is slightly enlarged. No enlargement had been noted previously. The nurse suspects that:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Step-by-step rationale for why choice C is correct: 1. Enlargement of the thyroid gland during pregnancy is a normal finding due to hormonal changes. 2. The thyroid gland enlarges to meet the increased demands of thyroid hormone production. 3. This condition is known as gestational thyrotoxicosis and is usually benign. 4. No further testing is needed for thyroid cancer unless other concerning symptoms are present. Summary: A: Not relevant as iodine deficiency is not typically associated with thyroid enlargement in pregnancy. B: Incorrect as early signs of goitre would involve more pronounced symptoms than just slight enlargement. D: Unnecessary as thyroid cancer is not a common concern in this scenario of a slightly enlarged thyroid in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Question 3 of 9
A mother brings her 4-month-old to the clinic with concerns about a small padlike growth on the mid- upper lip that has been present since the baby was 1 month old. The infant has no health problems. On physical examination, the nurse notes a 5-cm, fleshy, elevated area on the mid-upper lip. There is no evidence of inflammation or drainage. What would the nurse tell this mother?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because a sucking tubercle is a normal finding in infants caused by friction during breastfeeding or bottle feeding. The growth is typically painless, noninflammatory, and resolves on its own over time. This explanation reassures the mother that the condition is harmless and does not require any specific treatment. Choice A is incorrect because teething does not cause a sucking tubercle. Choice B is incorrect as there is no indication of abnormality that warrants specialist evaluation. Choice C is incorrect because chronic drooling does not typically result in a sucking tubercle.
Question 4 of 9
A patient is at the clinic because he has recently noticed that the left side of his mouth is paralyzed. He states that he cannot raise his eyebrow or whistle. The nurse suspects that he has:
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Bell's palsy. Bell's palsy is characterized by sudden weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles, resulting in drooping of the face, inability to raise the eyebrow or close the eye, and difficulty with facial expressions and functions like whistling. In this case, the patient's symptoms of left-sided facial paralysis point towards Bell's palsy as the likely diagnosis. Cushing's syndrome (A) is a hormonal disorder, Parkinson's syndrome (B) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting movement, and a cerebrovascular accident (D) typically presents with more generalized neurological deficits rather than isolated facial paralysis.
Question 5 of 9
A mother brings her child in to the clinic for scalp and hair examination. She says that the child has developed irregularly shaped patches on her head with broken-off, stublike hair, and she is worried that this could be some form of premature baldness. She tells the nurse that the child's hair is always kept very short. The nurse reassures her by telling her that it is:
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: trichotillomania, which may be caused by her child habitually twirling her hair in an absent-minded way. Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder where individuals have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair. In this case, the broken-off, stublike hair and irregularly shaped patches on the child's head are indicative of hair pulling rather than a medical condition like folliculitis (choice A), traumatic alopecia (choice B), or tinea capitis (choice C). The child's hair being kept very short does not align with the characteristic of these conditions, making trichotillomania the most likely explanation.
Question 6 of 9
A 32-year-old woman is at the clinic for a checkup, and she states,"I have little white bumps in my mouth." During the assessment, the nurse notes that she has a 5-cm white, nontender papule under her tongue and one on the mucosa of her right cheek. Which of the following would the nurse tell the patient?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because Fordyce's granules are small, yellow-white or flesh-colored spots that are sebaceous glands and commonly found on the oral mucosa. They are benign and do not require treatment. In this case, the patient's description matches the characteristics of Fordyce's granules. Option A is incorrect because strep throat typically presents with other symptoms like sore throat and fever, not white bumps in the mouth. Option B is incorrect as there is no indication of a serious lesion based on the description given. Option C is incorrect as leukoplakia is a condition associated with chronic irritation, not Fordyce's granules.
Question 7 of 9
The mother of a 2-year-old is concerned about tympanostomy tubes that are going to be inserted in her son's ears. Which of the following would the nurse include in the teaching plan?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Rationale for Correct Answer D: Tympanostomy tubes are inserted into the eardrum to help drain fluid from the middle ear, relieve pressure, and prevent infections. This is important in children who have recurrent ear infections or fluid buildup. By allowing drainage, the tubes help improve hearing and reduce the risk of complications. Summary of Incorrect Choices: A) Incorrect - Tympanostomy tubes are placed in the middle ear, not the inner ear. B) Incorrect - Tympanostomy tubes are used for conductive hearing loss, not sensorineural loss. C) Incorrect - Tympanostomy tubes are not permanently inserted and are usually removed after a period of time once they are no longer needed.
Question 8 of 9
During a well-baby checkup, the nurse notices that a 1-week-old infant's face looks small, compared with an enlarged cranium. On further examination, the nurse also notes dilated scalp veins and downcast, or"setting sun," eyes. What condition does the nurse suspect?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Hydrocephalus. The nurse suspects hydrocephalus due to the symptoms presented by the infant: enlarged cranium, small face, dilated scalp veins, and "setting sun" eyes. Hydrocephalus is the abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain, leading to increased intracranial pressure and characteristic physical signs such as an enlarged head. Craniotabes (A) is softening of the skull bones, not associated with these symptoms. Microcephaly (B) is characterized by a smaller head size, opposite to what is described in the question. Caput succedaneum (D) is swelling of the soft tissues of the infant's scalp, which is unrelated to the symptoms mentioned.
Question 9 of 9
When performing an otoscopic examination on a 5-year-old child with a history of chronic ear infections, the nurse sees that his right tympanic membrane is amber-yellow in colour and there are air bubbles behind the tympanic membrane. The child reports occasional hearing loss and a popping sound with swallowing. The preliminary analysis based on this information would be that:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: this is most likely serous otitis media. In a child with chronic ear infections, amber-yellow tympanic membrane color and air bubbles suggest fluid accumulation behind the eardrum, characteristic of serous otitis media. The occasional hearing loss and popping sound with swallowing are also common symptoms. Serous otitis media is a non-infectious condition caused by Eustachian tube dysfunction. Choice B: Acute purulent otitis media presents with more severe symptoms like fever and severe ear pain, which are not mentioned in the case. Choice C: Cholesteatoma is a more serious condition characterized by a cyst-like growth in the middle ear, not just fluid accumulation as seen in this case. Choice D: Perforation typically presents with a visible hole in the eardrum and is not consistent with the findings of fluid and air bubbles in this case.