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 in the medical-surgical unit is giving a patient with low blood pressure a hypertonic solution, which will increase the number of dissolved particles in his blood, creating pressure for fluids in the tissues to shift into the capillaries and increase the blood volume. Which of the following terms is associated with this process?

• A. Hydrostatic pressure
• B. Osmosis and osmolality
• C. Diffusion
• D. Active transport

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Osmosis is the movement of fluid from a region of low solute concentration to a region of high solute concentration across a semipermeable membrane. The number of dissolved particles contained in a unit of fluid determines the osmolality of a solution, which influences the movement of fluid between the fluid compartments. Giving a patient who has low blood pressure a hypertonic solution will increase the number of dissolved particles in the blood, creating pressure for fluids in the tissues to shift into the capillaries and increase the blood volume. Option A is incorrect; hydrostatic pressure refers to changes in water or volume related to water pressure. Option C is incorrect; diffusion is the movement of solutes from an area of greater concentration to lesser concentration. The solutes in an intact vascular system are unable to move, so diffusion should not normally take place. Option D is incorrect; active transport is the movement of molecules against the concentration gradient and requires ATP as an energy source. This process typically takes place at the cellular level and is not involved in vascular volume changes.

3. You are working on a burns unit, and one of your acutely ill patients is exhibiting signs and symptoms of third spacing. Based on this change in status, you should expect the patient to exhibit signs and symptoms of what imbalance?

• A. Metabolic alkalosis
• B. Hypermagnesemia
• C. Hypercalcemia
• D. Hypovolemia

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Third spacing refers to the loss of fluid from the intravascular space into the interstitial or third space, leading to a decrease in circulating blood volume. This condition results in hypovolemia, which is characterized by decreased blood volume. Metabolic alkalosis, hypermagnesemia, and hypercalcemia are not directly associated with third spacing. Metabolic alkalosis is an acid-base imbalance, hypermagnesemia is an excess of magnesium in the blood, and hypercalcemia is an excess of calcium in the blood, none of which are the primary concerns in cases of third spacing.

4. When planning the care of a patient with a fluid imbalance, the nurse understands that in the human body, water and electrolytes move from the arterial capillary bed to the interstitial fluid. What causes this to occur?

• A. Active transport of hydrogen ions across the capillary walls
• B. Pressure of the blood in the renal capillaries
• C. Action of the dissolved particles contained in a unit of blood
• D. Hydrostatic pressure resulting from the pumping action of the heart

Correct answer: D

Rationale:

5. When preparing a site for the insertion of an IV catheter, how should excess hair at the site be treated?

• A. Leaving the hair intact
• B. Shaving the area
• C. Clipping the hair in the area
• D. Removing the hair with a depilatory

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is to clip the hair in the area. Excess hair at the site of IV catheter insertion should be removed because it can be a potential source of infection. Clipping the hair is preferred over shaving because shaving can cause skin abrasions, increasing the risk of infection. Using depilatories is not recommended as they can irritate the skin, which is undesirable when preparing a clean site for an invasive procedure. Therefore, clipping the hair in the area is the most appropriate and safe method to prepare the site for IV catheter insertion.

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