Practice Question
The nurse is performing a health assessment on a 34-year-old female patient who reports "feeling fatigued all the time" She states, "Thave hot had a physical in over 8 years because I did not have medical insurance." The patient will be receiving a comprehensive health assessment today. Which of the following are components of the health assessment (Select all that apply]
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Performing a physical examination
Rationale:
✅ Performing a physical examination
🩺 A physical examination provides objective data about the patient’s current health status, complementing the subjective information collected during the interview.
🩺 It involves systematic assessment of body systems, including vital signs, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, musculoskeletal, and skin evaluations.
🩺 Detecting abnormal findings such as pallor, irregular heart rhythm, or thyroid enlargement can point to causes of fatigue.
🩺 The exam also establishes baseline measurements for ongoing care and monitoring.
🩺 This step is essential in correlating physical findings with reported symptoms.
✅ Assessing lifestyle factors that influence health
🍃 Lifestyle behaviors such as smoking, alcohol intake, diet, sleep patterns, exercise, and occupation play a major role in overall health.
🍃 These factors may contribute directly to fatigue (e.g., poor diet, lack of sleep, high stress) or increase the risk of chronic illness.
🍃 Understanding occupation also highlights potential environmental exposures (e.g., chemicals, night shifts).
🍃 Lifestyle data allows the nurse to provide personalized health teaching and risk reduction strategies.
🍃 This assessment helps identify modifiable risk factors that could improve the patient’s energy levels and overall well-being.
✅Collecting data on past and present medical conditions
📋 A detailed medical history is a key part of a comprehensive health assessment.
📋 Past illnesses such as anemia, thyroid disorders, depression, or chronic infections may explain the patient’s fatigue.
📋 Present conditions, including hypertension, diabetes, or autoimmune disorders, must also be identified as they affect current health.
📋 This information helps in recognizing patterns or progression of illness over time.
📋 It guides the provider in deciding on diagnostic tests and treatment plans tailored to the patient’s history.
✅ Assessing any prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal medications the patient is taking
💊 A complete medication review ensures that all prescribed and self-administered substances are documented.
💊 Some medications (e.g., antihypertensives, sedatives, antihistamines) have fatigue as a common side effect.
💊 Herbal supplements and OTC drugs can interact with prescribed medications, impacting safety and effectiveness.
💊 This assessment also checks for polypharmacy, especially if the patient has multiple health issues.
💊 Understanding medication use provides opportunities for patient education and safety reinforcement.
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This question is from Final Exam A1 FA25 which contains 50 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: Examplify Exam(s)
- Domain: Health Assessment
- Answer Choices: 5