Practice Question
A nurse is assessing a client's bowel sounds. At which of the following points in the assessment should the nurse auscultate the client's abdomen?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Prior to percussing the abdomen
Rationale:
💎 The correct sequence for abdominal assessment is inspection → auscultation → percussion → palpation.
💎 The nurse should auscultate before percussion or palpation to prevent stimulating bowel activity that could produce false bowel sounds.
💎 This helps accurately evaluate the presence, frequency, and character of bowel sounds.
💎 Normal bowel sounds occur every 5–15 seconds and indicate active peristalsis.
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This question is from RN Medsurg 2025 Exam which contains 42 questions.
More Questions from This Exam
A nurse is auscultating a client's heart sounds and hears an extra heart sound before what should be considered the first heart sound S1. The nurse should document this finding as which of the following heart sounds?
Answer Choices:
A. The third heart sound (S3)
B. A split second heart sound S1
C. The fourth heart sound (S4)
D. A friction rub
While assessing an older adult the nurse hears a bruit over the carotid arteries. The nurse should explain to the client that this bruit is
Answer Choices:
A. Normal for the elderly
B. Associated with occlusive artery disease
C. Normal in the elderly but abnormal in younger adults
D. Client has bronchospasm
The nurse is assessing 2 patients in room 212-1 and 212-2 and obtain a heart rate of between 60 and 100 bpm for 212-1 and a heart rate of 40-60 bpm for 21.2-2. The nurse knows that bed 212-1 heart rate is being controlled by the and bed 212-2 by the Bundle of His
Answer Choices:
A. Room 21 by SA node natural pacemaker of the heart
B. Respiratory system in order to compensate
C. Right ventricular contractions
D. Room 212-2 AV node
A nurse is having difficulty auscultating the apical pulse of a patient in the supine position. What is the best position to reposition the patient in order to better hear the apical pulse?
Answer Choices:
A. Left lateral position
B. Right lateral position
C. High Fowler's position
D. Prone position
A nurse is assessing a client who is 3 days postoperative following abdominal surgery and notes the absence of bowel sounds, abdominal distention, and the client passing no flatus. Which of the following conditions should the nurse suspect?
Answer Choices:
A. Paralytic ileus
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D. Ulcerative colitis
Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: ATI Exam(s)
- Domain: RN ATI MedSurg
- Answer Choices: 4