Practice Question
The nurse is going to assess the abdomen of an adult client. What should be done first?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Inspect the abdomen for contour and symmetry.
Rationale:
💎 Inspection is always the first step in an abdominal assessment to avoid altering bowel sounds or causing discomfort.
💎 The nurse looks for distention, asymmetry, scars, pulsations, and contour changes, which give important diagnostic clues.
💎 This step is noninvasive and allows assessment without affecting the exam findings.
💎 Visual assessment also identifies whether masses, hernias, or visible peristalsis may be present.
💎 Therefore, inspection is the appropriate first action before listening, tapping, or touching the abdomen.
Palpate the abdomen to check for tenderness
💎 Palpation should be performed last, as it may cause muscle guarding, pain, or peristalsis stimulation.
💎 Touching too early distorts exam findings, especially bowel sounds.
💎 Tenderness assessment must be done only after inspection, auscultation, and percussion.
💎 Early palpation can cause inaccurate bowel sound interpretation.
💎 Thus, palpating first is not appropriate.
Percuss the abdomen to assess for tympany
💎 Percussion should occur after auscultation, not before, to avoid stimulating or changing bowel sounds.
💎 Doing percussion too early may hinder accurate assessment of bowel motility.
💎 Percussion also requires a quiet, undisturbed abdomen for accuracy.
💎 It is important, but not the first step.
💎 Therefore, this action is out of correct sequence.
Auscultate the abdomen for bowel sounds
💎 Although auscultation should occur early, it must follow inspection.
💎 Listening first may overlook visible abnormalities that guide further examination.
💎 Bowel sounds can be altered if the nurse has already touched or percussed the abdomen.
💎 Proper technique requires auscultation to begin only after a full visual assessment.
💎 Thus, auscultation is not the correct first step.
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This question is from Examplify NR304_Quiz 2_NOV25 which contains 10 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
The nurse performs an abdominal exam. Which sequence demonstrates correct assessment order?
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For which time period would the nurse conclude that the client had no bowel sounds?
Answer Choices:
During palpation of the abdomen, the client reports pain in the right lower quadrant. The nurse interprets that this finding could indicate a problem with which of these structures?
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A nurse auscultates the abdomen and hears high-pitched, rushing, tinkling sounds. The patient reports cramping. Which condition is most consistent with these findings?
Answer Choices:
Which cues does the nurse use light palpation to assess for?
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: Examplify Exam(s)
- Domain: Health Assessment
- Answer Choices: 4