Respiratory Lung Auscultation | Health Assessment for Nursing Students

In this mini lesson, Nurse Mike and Allison walk you through respiratory lung auscultation step-by-step — exactly how to position your stethoscope, where to listen (front and back), and what normal vs. abnormal breath sounds actually sound like. You’ll master vesicular, bronchial, and bronchovesicular breath sounds for health assessment and the NCLEX. Nurse Mike teaches in a proven way to make this info stick. TRY SIMPLENURSING FOR FREE. Make nursing knowledge stick with SimpleNursing: https://simplenursing.com/youtube-joi... 🔗 Helpful Links Lung Sounds & Auscultation NCLEX Practice Questions + Review: https://simplenursing.com/lung-sounds... 💡 What You’ll Learn How to perform a lung auscultation (posterior, anterior, and lateral) on bare skin Proper stethoscope use: eartips, diaphragm vs. bell, intercostal spaces, and apices-to-bases zigzag pattern Normal breath sounds: vesicular vs. bronchial vs. bronchovesicular (locations, intensity, pitch) When to listen to full inspiration and expiration — and why timing matters Clinical tips to avoid hyperventilating patients and improve assessment accuracy High‑yield NCLEX takeaways (e.g., “vesicular over most lung fields,” bronchial over trachea) 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 Intro – Lung Auscultation Basics and Normal vs. Abnormal Sounds 00:20 Intercostal Spaces, Normal Airflow, and Stethoscope Eartip Position 00:52 Use the Diaphragm, Start at Apices, Side‑to‑Side Zigzag, Inhale + Exhale Each Move 01:28 Don’t Rush — Hear Full Inspiration and Expiration Without Hyperventilating the Patient 01:58 Bare Skin Only + Why You Must Assess Both Back and Front 02:18 Quick Note: Where Lower vs. Upper Lobes Are Best Heard (Back vs. Front) 02:42 Anterior Lung Sounds – Step‑by‑Step and Expected Vesicular Findings 03:20 Lateral/Mid‑Axillary Listening — Great When You Can’t Access the Back 03:52 Breath Sound Types – Bronchial, Bronchovesicular, Vesicular (Locations + Loudness) 04:49 Vesicular = Soft; Bronchial = Loud; Bronchovesicular = Medium — Testable Clues 05:08 NCLEX Practice: High, Harsh Sound Over Trachea → Document as Bronchial 05:24 NCLEX Practice: What’s Heard Over Most Lungs? → Vesicular 05:35 NCLEX High‑Yield: Normal = Soft, Low‑Pitched, Breezy Vesicular (Kaplan) 05:49 What’s Next: Abnormal Lung Sounds (wheezes, crackles, stridor, rhonchi, rub) ❤️ Why This Matters A solid lung assessment saves time, directs care, and protects patient safety. Mastering where and how to listen — and what you’re hearing — boosts your clinical judgment in school, on the NCLEX, and in real practice. You got this! 👍 If this helped, hit Like, Subscribe, and share it with a classmate! Check out our interactive NCLEX-style quizzes and study guides at SimpleNursing.com for more lessons that actually stick. 📚 More Nursing Resources Official Website (Free Trial): https://simplenursing.com/youtube-joi... Instagram:   / simplenursing.com_   TikTok:   / simplenursing   Facebook:   / simplenursing   YouTube:    / simplenursing   #LungSounds #Auscultation #NursingSchool #NCLEX #NurseMike #SimpleNursing #HealthAssessment #RespiratoryAssessment #NursingSkills #NCLEXPrep #Bronchial #Vesicular #Bronchovesicular