Nursing Elites

1. You are an emergency-room nurse caring for a trauma patient. Your patient has the following arterial blood gas results: pH 7.26, PaCO2 28, HCO3 11 mEq/L. How would you interpret these results?

• A. Respiratory acidosis with no compensation
• B. Metabolic alkalosis with a compensatory alkalosis
• C. Metabolic acidosis with no compensation
• D. Metabolic acidosis with a compensatory respiratory alkalosis

Correct answer: D

Rationale:

2. A nurse is caring for an older adult client who is admitted with moderate dehydration. Which intervention should the nurse implement to prevent injury while in the hospital?

• A. Ask family members to speak quietly to keep the client calm.
• B. Assess urine color, amount, and specific gravity each day.
• C. Encourage the client to drink at least 1 liter of fluids each shift.
• D. Dangle the client on the bedside before ambulating.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is to 'dangle the client on the bedside before ambulating.' This intervention helps prevent orthostatic hypotension, a drop in blood pressure when changing positions, which is crucial in preventing falls and related injuries in older adult clients. Asking family members to speak quietly (Choice A) may help keep the client calm but does not directly address the risk of injury. Assessing urine parameters (Choice B) is important for monitoring hydration status but does not specifically prevent injury. Encouraging increased fluid intake (Choice C) is essential for managing dehydration but does not directly address the risk of injury during ambulation.

3. Under normal circumstances, the kidneys provide the greatest means of water loss. Which organ provides the second greatest means of water loss?

• A. Skin
• B. Lungs
• C. Intestines
• D. Muscles

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Skin. After the kidneys, the skin is the second largest route of water loss through perspiration. Choice B, Lungs, is incorrect as the lungs primarily exchange gases and do not play a significant role in water loss. Choice C, Intestines, is also incorrect as water loss through the intestines is minimal since most water is reabsorbed during digestion. Choice D, Muscles, is incorrect as muscles are not a major source of water loss in the body.

4. . One day after a patient is admitted to the medical unit, you note that the patient is oliguric. You notify the acutecare nurse practitioner who orders a fluid challenge of 200 mL of normal saline solution over 15 minutes. This intervention will achieve which of the following?

• A. Help distinguish hyponatremia from hypernatremia
• B. Help evaluate pituitary gland function
• C. Help distinguish reduced renal blood flow from decreased renal function
• D. Help provide an effective treatment for hypertension-induced oliguria

Correct answer: C

Rationale:

5. A patient is in the hospital with heart failure. The nurse notes during the evening assessment that the patient's neck veins are distended and the patient has dyspnea. What action should the nurse take?

• A. Place the patient in low Fowler's position and notify the physician.
• B. Increase the patient's IV fluid and auscultate the lungs.
• C. Place the patient in semi-Fowler's position and prepare to give the PRN diuretic as ordered.
• D. Discontinue the patient's IV.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The symptoms of distended neck veins and dyspnea indicate fluid overload in a patient with heart failure. Placing the patient in semi-Fowler's position helps with respiratory effort and administering diuretics, as ordered, can assist in reducing fluid volume. Placing the patient in low Fowler's position (Choice A) may not be as effective in improving breathing. Increasing IV fluid (Choice B) is contraindicated in fluid overload conditions. Discontinuing the IV (Choice D) is not the immediate intervention needed to address the symptoms of fluid overload.

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