Chapter 01: Evidence-Based Assessment
Jarvis: Physical Examination and Health Assessment, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
- After completing an initial assessment of a patient, the nurse has charted that his respirations are eupneic and
his pulse is 58 beats per minute. These types of data would be:
a. Objective.
b. Reflective.
c. Subjective.
d. Introspective.
ANS: A
Objective data are what the health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and auscultating
during the physical examination. Subjective data is what the person says about him or herself during history
taking. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care - A patient tells the nurse that he is very nervNouUsR, S
isINnaGuTsBea.CteOdM, and feels hot. These types of data would be:
a. Objective.
b. Reflective.
c. Subjective.
d. Introspective.
ANS: C
Subjective data are what the person says about him or herself during history taking. Objective data are what the
health professional observes by inspecting, percussing, palpating, and auscultating during the physical
examination. The terms reflective and introspective are not used to describe data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care - The patients record, laboratory studies, objective data, and subjective data combine to form the:
a. Data base.
b. Admitting data.
c. Financial statement.
d. Discharge summary.
ANS: A
Together with the patients record and laboratory studies, the objective and subjective data form the data base.
The other items are not part of the patients record, laboratory studies, or data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Remembering (Knowledge)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
- When listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse is unsure of a sound that is heard. The nurses next
action should be to:
a. Immediately notify the patients physician.
b. Document the sound exactly as it was heard.
c. Validate the data by asking a coworker to listen to the breath sounds.
d. Assess again in 20 minutes to note whether the sound is still present.
ANS: C
When unsure of a sound heard while listening to a patients breath sounds, the nurse validates the data to ensure
accuracy. If the nurse has less experience in an area, then he or she asks an expert to listen.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Analyzing (Analysis)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care - The nurse is conducting a class for new graduate nurses. During the teaching session, the nurse should keep
in mind that novice nurses, without a background of skills and experience from which to draw, are more likely
to make their decisions using:
a. Intuition.
b. A set of rules.
c. Articles in journals.
d. Advice from supervisors.
ANS: B
Novice nurses operate from a set of defined, structured rules. The expert practitioner uses intuitive links.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: General
- Expert nurses learn to attend to a pattern of assessment data and act without consciously labeling it. These
responses are referred to as:
a. Intuition.
b. The nursing process.
c. Clinical knowledge.
d. Diagnostic reasoning.
ANS: A
Intuition is characterized by pattern recognitionexpert nurses learn to attend to a pattern of assessment data and
act without consciously labeling it. The other options are not correct.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: General - The nurse is reviewing information about evidence-based practice (EBP). Which statement best reflects
EBP?
a. EBP relies on tradition for supportNoUfRbSesINt pGrTacBt.iCceOsM.
b. EBP is simply the use of best practice techniques for the treatment of patients.
c. EBP emphasizes the use of best evidence with the clinicians experience.
d. The patients own preferences are not important with EBP.
ANS: C
EBP is a systematic approach to practice that emphasizes the use of best evidence in combination with the
clinicians experience, as well as patient preferences and values, when making decisions about care and
treatment. EBP is more than simply using the best practice techniques to treat patients, and questioning
tradition is important when no compelling and supportive research evidence exists.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Applying (Application)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care - The nurse is conducting a class on priority setting for a group of new graduate nurses. Which is an example
of a first-level priority problem?
a. Patient with postoperative pain
b. Newly diagnosed patient with diabetes who needs diabetic teaching
c. Individual with a small laceration on the sole of the foot
d. Individual with shortness of breath and respiratory distress
ANS: D
First-level priority problems are those that are emergent, life threatening, and immediate (e.g., establishing an
airway, supporting breathing, maintaining circulation, monitoring abnormal vital signs).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
- When considering priority setting of problems, the nurse keeps in mind that second-level priority problems
include which of these aspects?
a. Low self-esteem
b. Lack of knowledge
c. Abnormal laboratory values
d. Severely abnormal vital signs
ANS: C
Second-level priority problems are those that require prompt intervention to forestall further deterioration (e.g.,
mental status change, acute pain, abnormal laboratory values, risks to safety or security).
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care - Which critical thinking skill helps the nurse see relationships among the data?
a. Validation
b. Clustering related cues
c. Identifying gaps in data
d. Distinguishing relevant from irrelevant
ANS: B
Clustering related cues helps the nurse see relationships among the data.
DIF: Cognitive Level: Understanding (Comprehension)
MSC: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care