CELBAN - Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Patient Health History Taking Questions and Answers

Question 1

A patient tells the nurse, "I've just been feeling a bit under the weather lately." Which of the following is the nurse's most therapeutic and effective response to clarify this statement?

Accepted Answer

Can you tell me more about what 'under the weather' feels like for you?

Answer

The correct response is an open-ended question that encourages the patient to describe their symptoms in their own words. This is essential for gathering accurate subjective data without making assumptions, jumping to conclusions, or giving premature advice.

Question 2

When taking a patient's health history, which of the following represents subjective data?

Accepted Answer

The patient states, "I've had a sharp headache behind my eyes for two days."

Answer

Subjective data is information reported by the patient from their own perspective, such as their feelings, perceptions, and symptoms. The other options are objective findings that the nurse can see, measure, or observe.

Question 3

A nurse is assessing a patient's chief complaint of ankle pain. The nurse asks, "On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst pain imaginable, how would you rate your pain right now?" This question is designed to assess which component of the PQRSTU symptom assessment framework?

Accepted Answer

Severity (S)

Answer

The 0-10 pain scale is a standard tool used to quantify the intensity or severity of a symptom, which corresponds to the 'S' (Severity) in the PQRSTU framework.

Question 4

Which of the following is the most effective initial question to ask a patient who has just arrived in the clinic with a chief complaint of "stomach pain"?

Accepted Answer

Can you describe what the pain feels like?

Answer

An open-ended question like "Can you describe..." allows the patient to provide a detailed, narrative response without being limited by the nurse's suggestions. This approach gathers more comprehensive information at the beginning of the assessment than closed-ended questions.

Question 5

A nurse needs to inquire about a new patient's alcohol intake as part of a comprehensive health history. What is the most professional and non-judgmental way to ask this question?

Accepted Answer

Because some medications are affected by alcohol, it's important for me to ask about your use. Can you tell me how many alcoholic beverages you might have in a typical week?

Answer

Providing a clinical reason for asking a sensitive question (e.g., medication interactions) helps build trust and destigmatizes the topic. The question is phrased neutrally, asking for specific information ('how many...in a typical week') without using judgmental language.

(CELBAN) Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Practice Test

(CELBAN) Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Practice Test

CELBAN - Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Patient Health History Taking Questions and Answers