HESI Health Assessment Study guide
1) The nurse hears bilateral louder, longer, and lower tones when percussing over
the lungs of a 4-year old child. What should the nurse do next?
a) Palpate over the area for increased pain and tenderness.
b) Ask the child to take shallow breaths and percuss over the area again.
c) Refer the child immediately because of an increased amount of air in the lungs.
d) Consider this a normal finding for a child this age and proceed with the
examination.
(ANS- d) Consider this a normal finding for a child this age and proceed with the
examination.
2) A patient has suddenly developed shortness of breath and appears to be in
significant respiratory distress. After putting a call in to the physician and placing
the patient on oxygen, which of these is the best action for the nurse to take when
assessing the patient further?
a) Count the patient’s respirations.
b) Percuss the thorax bilaterally, noting any differences in percussion tones.
c) Call for a chest x-ray and wait for the results before beginning an assessment.
d) Inspect the thorax for any new masses and bleeding associated with respirations.
(ANS- b) Percuss the thorax bilaterally, noting any differences in percussion tones.
3) The nurse is teaching a class on basic assessment skills. Which of these
statements is true regarding the stethoscope and its use?
a) The slope of the earpieces should point posteriorly (toward the occiput).
b) The stethoscope does not magnify sound but does block out extraneous room
noise.
c) The fit and quality of the stethoscope are not as important as its ability to
magnify sound.
d) The ideal tubing length should be 22 inches to dampen distortion of sound.
(ANS- b) The stethoscope does not magnify sound but does block out extraneous
room noise.
4) The nurse is preparing to use a stethoscope for auscultation. Which statement is
true regarding the diaphragm of the stethoscope?
a) The diaphragm is used to listen for high-pitched sounds.
b) The diaphragm is used to listen for low-pitched sounds.
c) The diaphragm should be held lightly against the person’s skin to block out lowpitched sounds.
d) The diaphragm should be held lightly against the person’s skin to listen for extra
heart sounds
and murmurs.
(ANS- a) The diaphragm is used to listen for high-pitched sounds.
5) Before auscultating the abdomen for the presence of bowel sounds on a patient,
the nurse should:
a) Warm the end piece of the stethoscope by placing it in warm water
b) Leave the gown on so that the patient does not get chilled during the
examination
c) Make sure that the bell side of the stethoscope is turned to the “on” position
d) Check the temperature of the room and offer blankets to the patient if he or she
feels cold
(ANS- d) Check the temperature of the room and offer blankets to the patient if he
or she feels cold
6) The nurse will use which technique of assessment to determine the presence of
crepitus, swelling, and pulsations?
a) Palpation
b) Inspection
c) Percussion
d) Auscultation
(ANS- a) Palpation
7) The nurse is preparing to use an otoscope for an examination. Which statement
is true regarding the otoscope?
a) The otoscope is often used to direct light onto the sinuses.
b) The otoscope uses a short, broad speculum to help visualize the ear.
c) The otoscope is used to examine the structures of the internal ear.
d) The otoscope directs light into the ear canal and onto the tympanic membrane.
(ANS- d) The otoscope directs light into the ear canal and onto the tympanic
membrane.
8) An examiner is using an ophthalmoscope to examine a patient’s eyes. The
patient has astigmatism and is nearsighted. The use of which of these techniques
would indicate that the examination is being performed correctly?
a) Using the large full circle of light when assessing pupils that are not dilated
b) Rotating the lens selector dial to the black numbers to compensate for
astigmatism
c) Using the grid on the lens aperture dial to visualize the external structures of the
eye
d) Rotating the lens selector dial to bring the object into focus