ATI RN
Vital Signs Assessment for Nurses Questions
Question 1 of 5
The patient requires temperatures to be taken every two hours. Which of the following cannot be delegated to nursing assistive personnel?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Assessing temperature changes requires RN judgment, not delegable. NAP can select routes/devices , measure , and note norms under direction. Choice D is correct, per RN scope (e.g., NCSBN) reserving assessment for licensed nurses.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse is assessing a client's oxygen saturation level. What is the most common method used to measure oxygen saturation?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Pulse oximetry is the most common, non-invasive method for oxygen saturation. ABG is invasive. Capnography measures CO2. Spirometry assesses lung function. Choice C is correct, per the explanation, reflecting standard nursing practice.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse has an order to take the core temperature of a patient. At which of the following sites would a core body temperature be measured?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Tympanic measures core temperature via the eardrum, close to the hypothalamus, per the answer key. Oral approximates core but varies with intake. Axillary and skin surface reflect peripheral temp, less accurate for core. Tympanic's proximity to central blood flow makes it reliable for quick, non-invasive core readings, aligning with nursing practice for accuracy in critical assessments, distinguishing it from less precise peripheral sites.
Question 4 of 5
As adults age, the walls of their arterioles become less elastic, increasing resistance and decreasing compliance. How does this affect the blood pressure?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Increased resistance from less elastic arterioles raises blood pressure , per the answer key, common in aging. No change , erratic , or decrease don't fit. Nurses monitor this age-related rise for hypertension management.
Question 5 of 5
A nurse is conducting a physical examination and is percussing the gastric area of a patient. What percussion tone is normally heard in this area?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Tympany , per the answer key, is the hollow, drum-like tone over the air-filled stomach. Flat is over bone, dull organs, resonant lungs. Nurses, per Taylor, expect tympany in gastric percussion for normal assessment.