Question

A client has just returned from the recovery room and asks to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. The nurse decides to obtain orthostatic vital signs first. How will the nurse position the client to begin this procedure?

Answer 1

Correct Answers:

Lying.

Rationale :

♦️Orthostatic vitals begin in the supine (lying) position for about 5 minutes to establish a stable baseline blood pressure and heart rate.

♦️Starting supine reduces fall risk in a client who has just returned from recovery and may be sedated, hypovolemic, or dizzy.

♦️After the supine measurement, the sequence proceeds to sitting (1–3 min) and then standing (1–3 min) while reassessing vitals.

♦️The goal is to detect a drop in systolic ≥20 mmHg, diastolic ≥10 mmHg, or ↑HR consistent with orthostatic hypotension.

♦️Beginning supine also allows the nurse to monitor for symptoms (lightheadedness, syncope) before attempting upright positions.

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Answer 2

Correct Answers:

2nd intercostal space along the left sternal border.

Rationale :

♦️Aortic regurgitation produces a high-pitched, blowing, decrescendo diastolic murmur best heard with the diaphragm at the left sternal border.

♦️Classic auscultation points include the left parasternal area around the 2nd–4th ICS (Erb’s region), where regurgitant flow from the aorta back into the LV is transmitted.

♦️Having the client sit up, lean forward, and fully exhale accentuates this diastolic murmur at the left sternal border.

♦️The left sternal location optimizes pickup of the retrograde jet directed toward the left ventricular outflow tract.

♦️Use firm diaphragm pressure and quiet room to appreciate the soft, early diastolic quality.

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Answer 3

Correct Answers:

Change in consistency.

Rationale :

✴ In clients with darkly pigmented skin, erythema may be difficult to visualize, so nurses prioritize palpation for signs of inflammation.

✴ A change in consistency—such as induration, firmness, or bogginess—signals localized inflammatory changes and interstitial fluid shifts.

✴ Additional supportive findings include increased warmth, tenderness, and edema, which are tactile rather than purely visual cues.

✴ Assessing skin temperature with the dorsum of the hand helps corroborate inflammation when color change is subtle.

✴ Documenting location, size, borders, and associated pruritus or pain guides management and monitoring for progression.

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Answer 4

Correct Answers:

Family history of colon cancer on mother's side.

Rationale :

🔹Lower abdominal pain with constipation raises concern for colonic pathology, and a first-degree family history of colon cancer significantly elevates risk.

🔹Hereditary patterns (e.g., Lynch syndrome) and early-onset family cases warrant earlier evaluation and colorectal screening.

🔹Red-flag symptoms with altered bowel habits plus a positive family history necessitate prompt diagnostic work-up (e.g., colonoscopy).

🔹Early identification is critical because colorectal cancer often presents insidiously with constipation, occult bleeding, weight loss, or iron-deficiency anemia.

🔹Prioritizing this history element directs the nurse to escalate care and coordinate timely referral.

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Answer 5

Correct Answers:

It must be enlarged at least three times normal size for it to be palpable.

Rationale :

◆The normal spleen is not palpable on routine examination; it must be significantly enlarged (≈3× normal) to descend below the costal margin.

◆Splenomegaly extends the spleen inferomedially, making the anterior tip potentially palpable on deep inspiration.

◆Clinical techniques (e.g., Traube’s space percussion, Castell’s sign) help screen for enlargement before attempting deep palpation.

◆Palpation is performed gently to avoid capsular rupture, especially in markedly enlarged, fragile spleens.

◆Recognition of this threshold prevents false positives and focuses assessment on reliable signs of enlargement.

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Answer 6

Correct Answers:

"Short-term memory is intact."

Rationale :

◈The three-word immediate and delayed recall task specifically evaluates recent (short-term) memory.

◈Successful recall after a brief interval indicates intact encoding, storage, and retrieval in short-term memory systems.

◈This test is a standard element of the Mental Status Exam (MSE) under cognition—memory.

◈It does not directly assess judgment, attention span, or intelligence, which are measured with other tasks.

◈Documenting “short-term memory intact” precisely reflects the observed performance on this validated bedside measure.

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Answer 7

Correct Answers:

Range of 90 degrees when the hands are placed at the small of the back.

Rationale :

🔶Internal rotation of the shoulder is assessed by asking the client to place the dorsum of each hand at the small of the back and estimating the degree of rotation.

🔶A ~90° range with this maneuver indicates normal internal rotation of the glenohumeral joint.

🔶This position functionally combines internal rotation and extension, reflecting daily activities such as tucking in a shirt.

🔶Comparison bilaterally helps detect asymmetry from capsulitis, rotator cuff pathology, or osteoarthritis.

🔶Documenting the degree and ease of motion provides a clear baseline for follow-up.

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Answer 8

Correct Answers:

Sit quietly to allow the client to respond comfortably

Rationale :

⭐Purposeful therapeutic silence encourages clients to organize thoughts and share more spontaneously.

⭐It conveys respect and patience, reducing pressure and building rapport during sensitive history taking.

⭐Nonverbal support (e.g., open posture, nodding, neutral facial expression) enhances comfort and facilitates disclosure.

⭐Silence is a core therapeutic communication technique that can yield richer, more accurate histories.

⭐The nurse remains present and attentive, allowing the client to take the lead when ready.

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Answer 9

Correct Answers:

Percuss the splenic area as the client takes a deep breath.

Rationale :

♦ Percussion during inspiration (e.g., Castell’s sign) helps detect splenic enlargement as the spleen descends and dulls the normal tympany.

♦ With the client in supine or slight head elevation, percuss at the left anterior axillary line; a change from tympany to dullness on inspiration suggests splenomegaly.

♦ This noninvasive screen is safer than forceful palpation and guides whether careful palpation is warranted.

♦ In trauma or suspected rupture risk, emphasis on percussion and imaging over deep palpation enhances safety.

♦ Accurate technique improves detection of clinically significant splenic enlargement after abdominal injury.

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Answer 10

Correct Answers:

Posterior chest below the 3rd intercostal space.

Rationale :

🔵Lower lobe breath sounds are best appreciated at the posterior lung fields, particularly at the bases (approximately T3–T10).

🔵Posterior positioning minimizes interference from cardiac and mediastinal structures, improving sound transmission from lower lobes.

🔵Having the client sit up and breathe deeply through the mouth enhances characterization of vesicular vs. adventitious sounds.

🔵Systematic ladder-pattern auscultation compares side-to-side at equal levels to localize abnormalities.

🔵Focusing below the 3rd ICS posteriorly ensures coverage of the dependent lower lung segments where pathology often accumulates.

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HESI RN HEALTH ASSESSMENT WGU EXAM 2

No.

1 :
A client has just returned from the recovery room and asks to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. The nurse decides to obtain orthostatic vital signs first. How will the nurse position the client to begin this procedure?

2 :
The nurse is assessing a client who has a history of aortic regurgitation. Where should the nurse place the stethoscope diaphragm to listen for this condition?

3 :
A client with dark skin is reporting a painful and itching area on the lower left leg. What should the nurse look for when assessing this client's skin for inflammation?

4 :
A client is in the clinic and is reporting lower abdominal pain and constipation. Which information is of greatest concern to the nurse when obtaining the health history from this client?

5 :
Which statement is accurate about assessing the spleen?

6 :
While performing a mental status exam (MSE), the nurse asks a client to remember three unrelated words and repeat them later. The client was able to repeat the words as directed. Which computer documentation is accurate?

7 :
The nurse is testing the client's shoulders for range of motion. What should the nurse document to record normal internal rotation?

8 :
While conducting an interview to obtain a health history, the nurse notices that the client pauses frequently and looks at the nurse expectantly. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

9 :
The nurse is completing a physical assessment of a client who feel from a tree. The client's abdomen is soft with hyperactive bowel sounds in all four quadrants. Which assessment technique should the nurse implement when evaluating the client's spleen?

10 :
What is the best place for the nurse to hear lower lobe lung sounds with a stethoscope?

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HESI RN HEALTH ASSESSMENT WGU EXAM 2

No.

1 : A client has just returned from the recovery room and asks to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. The nurse decides to obtain orthostatic vital signs first. How will the nurse position the client to begin this procedure?

2 : The nurse is assessing a client who has a history of aortic regurgitation. Where should the nurse place the stethoscope diaphragm to listen for this condition?

3 : A client with dark skin is reporting a painful and itching area on the lower left leg. What should the nurse look for when assessing this client's skin for inflammation?

4 : A client is in the clinic and is reporting lower abdominal pain and constipation. Which information is of greatest concern to the nurse when obtaining the health history from this client?

5 : Which statement is accurate about assessing the spleen?

6 : While performing a mental status exam (MSE), the nurse asks a client to remember three unrelated words and repeat them later. The client was able to repeat the words as directed. Which computer documentation is accurate?

7 : The nurse is testing the client's shoulders for range of motion. What should the nurse document to record normal internal rotation?

8 : While conducting an interview to obtain a health history, the nurse notices that the client pauses frequently and looks at the nurse expectantly. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

9 : The nurse is completing a physical assessment of a client who feel from a tree. The client's abdomen is soft with hyperactive bowel sounds in all four quadrants. Which assessment technique should the nurse implement when evaluating the client's spleen?

10 : What is the best place for the nurse to hear lower lobe lung sounds with a stethoscope?

1 :
A client has just returned from the recovery room and asks to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. The nurse decides to obtain orthostatic vital signs first. How will the nurse position the client to begin this procedure?

2 :
The nurse is assessing a client who has a history of aortic regurgitation. Where should the nurse place the stethoscope diaphragm to listen for this condition?

3 :
A client with dark skin is reporting a painful and itching area on the lower left leg. What should the nurse look for when assessing this client's skin for inflammation?

4 :
A client is in the clinic and is reporting lower abdominal pain and constipation. Which information is of greatest concern to the nurse when obtaining the health history from this client?

5 :
Which statement is accurate about assessing the spleen?

6 :
While performing a mental status exam (MSE), the nurse asks a client to remember three unrelated words and repeat them later. The client was able to repeat the words as directed. Which computer documentation is accurate?

7 :
The nurse is testing the client's shoulders for range of motion. What should the nurse document to record normal internal rotation?

8 :
While conducting an interview to obtain a health history, the nurse notices that the client pauses frequently and looks at the nurse expectantly. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

9 :
The nurse is completing a physical assessment of a client who feel from a tree. The client's abdomen is soft with hyperactive bowel sounds in all four quadrants. Which assessment technique should the nurse implement when evaluating the client's spleen?

10 :
What is the best place for the nurse to hear lower lobe lung sounds with a stethoscope?