Nursing Elites

1. What should the charge nurse do after overhearing the patient care assistant speaking harshly to the client with dementia?

• A. Change the patient care assistant's assignment
• B. Explore the interaction with the patient care assistant
• C. Discuss the matter with the client's family
• D. Initiate a group session with the patient care assistant

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The best action for the charge nurse to take is to explore the interaction with the patient care assistant. This step allows for clarification of the situation and direct addressing of the issue. Changing the patient care assistant's assignment (choice A) might be necessary, but understanding the situation should come first. Discussing the matter with the client's family (choice C) as an initial step could escalate the situation. Initiating a group session with the patient care assistant (choice D) could be considered later as a preventive measure to avoid similar incidents in the future.

2. A client with cancer develops xerostomia. The nurse can help alleviate the discomfort associated with xerostomia by:

• A. Offering hard candy
• B. Administering analgesic medications
• C. Splinting swollen joints
• D. Providing saliva substitute

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Xerostomia is dry mouth, a common side effect in cancer patients. Providing a saliva substitute helps alleviate the discomfort associated with dry mouth by moistening the oral mucosa. Offering hard candy, as mentioned in choice A, can worsen xerostomia by increasing sugar content and potentially causing irritation. Administering analgesic medications, as in choice B, is not directly related to treating dry mouth. Splinting swollen joints, as in choice C, is irrelevant to xerostomia, which primarily affects the oral cavity.

3. During the work phase of the nurse-client relationship, the client says to her primary nurse, "You think that I could walk if I wanted to, don't you?"? What is the best response by the nurse?

• A. "Yes, if you really wanted to, you could."?
• B. "Tell me why you're concerned about what I think."?
• C. "Do you think you could walk if you wanted to?"?
• D. "I think you're unable to walk now, whatever the cause."?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: This response answers the question honestly and nonjudgmentally and helps to preserve the client's self-esteem. The nurse acknowledges the client's current inability to walk without attributing it to the client's desire. Choice A provides a positive but unrealistic statement that may diminish the client's self-esteem by implying a lack of effort. Choice B deflects the client's question and does not address the underlying concern. Choice C may increase the client's anxiety by suggesting unresolved psychological conflicts related to walking.

4. The mother of a newborn child is very upset. The child has a cleft lip and palate. The type of crisis this mother is experiencing is:

• A. reactive.
• B. maturational.
• C. situational.
• D. adventitious.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The mother is experiencing a situational crisis as the unexpected birth of a child with a cleft lip and palate has placed her in a challenging situation she did not anticipate. This type of crisis is triggered by specific events and circumstances. Choice A, reactive, implies responding to a stressor after it has occurred, which is not the case here. Choice B, maturational, refers to stress related to developmental stages, not to external events like the child's condition. Choice D, adventitious, involves crises resulting from events outside one's control, such as natural disasters, which do not apply in this scenario.

5. Due to a high census, it has been necessary for a number of clients to be transferred to other units within the hospital. Which client should be transferred to the postpartum unit?

• A. A 66-year-old female with gastroenteritis
• B. A 40-year-old female with a hysterectomy
• C. A 27-year-old male with severe depression
• D. A 28-year-old male with ulcerative colitis

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The best client to transfer to the postpartum unit is the 40-year-old female with a hysterectomy. The nurses on the postpartum unit will be knowledgeable about postoperative care and can manage any complications related to the surgery. Choices A and D would be more appropriately cared for on a medical-surgical unit due to their conditions. Choice C should be transferred to a psychiatric unit for specialized care related to severe depression.

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