Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning & Comprehension 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clinical note reads: 'Patient is febrile, tachycardic, and diaphoretic.' Which set of terms matches these observations?
- Feverish, slow heart rate, sweating
- Feverish, rapid heart rate, sweating (Correct answer)
- Low fever, rapid heart rate, dry skin
- Normal temperature, slow pulse, pale skin
Correct answer: Feverish, rapid heart rate, sweating
Febrile = fever, tachycardic = rapid heart rate, diaphoretic = sweating — all three match option B.
Question 2: Choose the word that best fills the blank: 'The nurse's calm demeanor helped to _____ the anxious patient.'
- Agitate
- Reassure (Correct answer)
- Confuse
- Exhaust
Correct answer: Reassure
A calm demeanor logically helps to reassure an anxious patient, reducing their anxiety.
Question 3: Which sentence contains a REDUNDANCY?
- The patient refused further treatment.
- She repeatedly returned again and again to the same complaint. (Correct answer)
- The lab results were inconclusive.
- He documented the findings carefully.
Correct answer: She repeatedly returned again and again to the same complaint.
'Repeatedly' and 'again and again' convey the same meaning, making the sentence redundant.
Question 4: A policy states nursing staff must document medication administration within 30 minutes. A nurse documents 45 minutes later without explanation. This is best described as:
- Compliant with policy
- A policy violation (Correct answer)
- An acceptable exception
- A documentation best practice
Correct answer: A policy violation
Documenting 15 minutes beyond the required window without explanation constitutes a policy violation.
Question 5: What is the meaning of the prefix 'hyper-' as used in medical terminology?
- Below normal
- Above normal or excessive (Correct answer)
- Relating to the heart
- Absence of
Correct answer: Above normal or excessive
The prefix hyper- means above normal or excessive, as in hypertension (high blood pressure).
Question 6: Read: 'Despite numerous complaints, hospital administration delayed action for six months.' The word 'despite' signals:
- Cause and effect
- Contrast or concession (Correct answer)
- Sequence of events
- Agreement between parties
Correct answer: Contrast or concession
'Despite' is a concessive word that signals a contrast between the complaints and the lack of action.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of a primary source?
- A textbook summarizing clinical research
- A nurse's direct observation documented in a patient chart (Correct answer)
- A news article about a hospital policy
- A colleague's verbal summary of a procedure
Correct answer: A nurse's direct observation documented in a patient chart
A primary source is first-hand documentation, such as direct observations recorded in a patient chart.
Epic Skills Assessment Verbal Reasoning & Comprehension 3
A clinical note reads: 'Patient is febrile, tachycardic, and diaphoretic.' Which set of terms matches these observations?