Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant (NRCMA) (NAHP) Practice Exam

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Study for the Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant Exam. Prepare with interactive quizzes and multiple-choice questions that come with helpful hints and explanations. Get ready to earn your certification with confidence!

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The best respiratory rate can be determined by?

  1. Measuring the breaths with a stethoscope

  2. Asking the patient to count aloud

  3. Watching the patient's chest rise and fall while appearing to take the pulse

  4. Listening to the patient breathe from a distance

The correct answer is: Watching the patient's chest rise and fall while appearing to take the pulse

The best way to determine an accurate respiratory rate is by visually watching the patient's chest rise and fall while appearing to take the pulse. This method is more reliable than counting aloud or using a stethoscope, as it allows for simultaneous monitoring of both pulse and respiratory rate. Additionally, relying on the patient to count aloud may not yield an accurate result due to various factors such as speaking patterns or mental state. Similarly, listening to the patient breathe from a distance may not be precise and could lead to an incorrect measurement. Therefore, the most effective and recommended method is to visually observe the patient's chest movements while checking their pulse.