Practice Question
A client comes to the clinic due to shoulder discomfort and intermittent pain while swimming laps. To identify normal range of motion (ROM) of the client's shoulder, which assessment technique should the nurse ask the client to perform?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Extend arms up to 180 degrees beside the ears.
Rationale:
🟦 Assessing shoulder range of motion (ROM) involves evaluating the joint’s ability to move through its normal arcs, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation.
🟦 Asking the client to extend the arms upward to 180 degrees beside the ears specifically tests shoulder flexion, which is a key component of normal shoulder mobility.
🟦 Shoulder flexion to 180 degrees indicates full ROM of the glenohumeral joint with intact muscular coordination from the deltoid, rotator cuff group, and scapular stabilizers.
🟦 Because the client reports pain during swimming—a sport requiring full overhead mobility—assessing flexion is clinically relevant to identifying possible issues such as impingement or tendinopathy.
🟦 Therefore, extending arms up alongside the ears is the most appropriate maneuver for checking normal shoulder ROM.
❌ Incorrect Options
Touching the nose with alternating index fingers
— Tests coordination and cerebellar function, not shoulder ROM.
Extend arms straight out and hold without drifting
— Assesses motor strength and possible neurological deficits (pronator drift), not shoulder ROM.
Hold arms at 90 degrees while resistance is applied
— Tests muscle strength, not ROM; commonly used for assessing deltoid strength.
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This question is from Fall 2025-BSN -246 RN Health Assessment which contains 59 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: Health Assessment
- Answer Choices: 4