Nursing Elites

1. A 5-year-old is admitted to the unit following a tonsillectomy. Which of the following would indicate a complication of the surgery?

• A. Decreased appetite
• B. A low-grade fever
• C. Chest congestion
• D. Constant swallowing

Correct answer: D

Rationale: A complication of a tonsillectomy is bleeding, and constant swallowing may indicate bleeding. Decreased appetite is expected after a tonsillectomy, as is a low-grade fever; thus, answers A and B are incorrect. Chest congestion, as mentioned in answer C, is not typical of tonsillectomy complications, making it an incorrect choice.

2. The nurse is making assignments for the day. Which client should be assigned to the pregnant nurse?

• A. The client receiving linear accelerator radiation therapy for lung cancer
• B. The client with a radium implant for cervical cancer
• C. The client who has just been administered soluble brachytherapy for thyroid cancer
• D. The client who returned from placement of iridium seeds for prostate cancer

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The pregnant nurse should not be assigned to any client with radioactivity present. The client receiving linear accelerator therapy is the correct choice because the radiation stays in the department, and the client is not radioactive. Choices B, C, and D involve clients who are radioactive or pose a risk due to radioactivity. The client with a radium implant for cervical cancer (choice B) is radioactive, the client who has just been administered soluble brachytherapy for thyroid cancer (choice C) is radioactive for approximately 72 hours, and the client who returned from placement of iridium seeds for prostate cancer (choice D) is also radioactive, especially right after the procedure. These options are not suitable for assignment to the pregnant nurse.

3. A woman asks, "How much alcohol can I safely drink while pregnant?"? The nurse's best response is:

• A. "The amount of alcohol that is safe during pregnancy is unknown."?
• B. "Consuming one or two beers or glasses of wine a day is considered safe for a healthy pregnant woman."?
• C. "Drinking three or more drinks on any given occasion is the only harmful type of drinking during pregnancy."?
• D. "You can have a drink to help you relax and get to sleep at night."?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is, "The amount of alcohol that is safe during pregnancy is unknown."? It is crucial for pregnant women to avoid alcohol as there is no known safe amount during pregnancy. Consuming any amount of alcohol can harm the developing fetus and increase the risk of fetal alcohol syndrome, a condition characterized by mental and physical abnormalities in infants. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because they provide misleading information that can potentially harm the fetus. Pregnant women should abstain from alcohol to ensure the health and well-being of their baby.

4. A 57-year-old woman is recently widowed. She states, "I will never be able to learn how to manage the finances. My husband did all of that."? Select the nurse's response that could help raise the client's self-esteem.

• A. "You feel inadequate because you have never learned to balance a checkbook."?
• B. "You should have insisted your husband teach you about the finances."?
• C. "You are strong and will learn how to manage your finances after a while."?
• D. "I believe in your strength to learn how to manage your finances in time."?

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The nurse should aim to boost the client's self-esteem by providing positive reinforcement. By stating, "You are strong and will learn how to manage your finances after a while,"? the nurse acknowledges the client's strength and capability, encouraging her to believe in herself. Choice A is incorrect as it focuses on the client's inadequacy rather than empowering her. Choice B places unnecessary blame on the client for not taking action in the past. Choice D, though positive, slightly alters the nurse's original phrase, making choice C the most appropriate response to uplift the client's self-esteem.

5. If the nurse who was not promoted tells another friend, "I knew I'd never get the job. The hospital administrator hates me."? If she actually believes this of the administrator, who, in reality, knows little of her, she is demonstrating:

• A. compensation.
• B. reaction formation.
• C. projection.
• D. denial.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The nurse is demonstrating projection, attributing her own feelings of dislike onto the hospital administrator. This defense mechanism involves unconsciously adopting blaming behavior. Compensation involves emphasizing a strong point to make up for a perceived weakness, which is not the case here. Reaction formation is adopting behavior opposite to actual feelings, and denial involves ignoring an unpleasant reality, none of which are demonstrated in this scenario.

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