Nursing Elites

1. A charge nurse is planning care for a group of patients on a med-surg unit. What task should the nurse delegate to an assistive personnel?

• A. Measure hourly urinary output for the postoperative patient.
• B. Administer medications to stable patients.
• C. Reinforce patient education.
• D. Initiate a care plan for a new patient.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A because assistive personnel can be assigned to measure and document urinary output, a routine task within their scope of practice. Administering medications (choice B) requires a higher level of training and should be done by licensed nurses. Reinforcing patient education (choice C) involves providing information and ensuring patient understanding, which is typically done by licensed healthcare providers. Initiating a care plan (choice D) involves critical thinking and assessment skills, which are beyond the scope of practice for assistive personnel.

2. A nurse in an emergency department completes an assessment on an adolescent client with conduct disorder. The client threatened suicide to a teacher at school. Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the assessment?

• A. Tell me about your siblings
• B. Tell me what kind of music you like
• C. Tell me how often you drink alcohol
• D. Tell me about your school schedule

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'Tell me how often you drink alcohol.' Alcohol use can exacerbate aggressive behaviors and is relevant for the assessment of suicide risk in adolescents with conduct disorders. Choices A, B, and D are unrelated to the assessment of suicide risk in this scenario and do not provide information that directly impacts the client's risk assessment.

3. A nurse is assessing a client who has a history of atrial fibrillation and is receiving warfarin. Which of the following laboratory values should the nurse monitor to determine the effectiveness of the warfarin?

• A. Platelet count
• B. International normalized ratio (INR)
• C. Bleeding time
• D. Partial thromboplastin time (PTT)

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: International normalized ratio (INR). The INR is used to monitor the effectiveness of warfarin therapy. A higher INR indicates a longer time it takes for the blood to clot, which is desirable in patients receiving warfarin to prevent blood clots. Platelet count (Choice A) assesses the number of platelets in the blood and is not directly related to warfarin therapy. Bleeding time (Choice C) evaluates the time it takes for a person to stop bleeding after a standardized wound, but it is not specific to monitoring warfarin effectiveness. Partial thromboplastin time (PTT) (Choice D) is more commonly used to monitor heparin therapy, not warfarin.

4. A nurse working in a mobile health clinic is assessing a migrant farm worker. What finding should the nurse identify as a priority?

• A. Report of fatigue and fever
• B. Report of muscle twitching and skin rash
• C. Report of blurred vision
• D. Report of nasal congestion

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Muscle twitching and a skin rash may indicate exposure to pesticides, which requires immediate intervention due to potential toxicity. Fatigue and fever (Choice A) are non-specific symptoms that may indicate various conditions but do not directly indicate pesticide exposure. Blurred vision (Choice C) and nasal congestion (Choice D) are also non-specific symptoms and are less likely to be related to pesticide exposure compared to muscle twitching and a skin rash.

5. A healthcare professional is assessing a client for signs of fluid overload. Which of the following findings should the healthcare professional look for?

• A. Weight loss
• B. Decreased blood pressure
• C. Edema
• D. Increased urine output

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Edema is a common sign of fluid overload. When the body retains more fluid than it excretes, it can lead to edema, which is swelling caused by excess fluid trapped in body tissues. Weight gain, not weight loss, is typically associated with fluid overload due to the retained fluids. Decreased blood pressure is more commonly associated with dehydration rather than fluid overload. Increased urine output is a sign of the body trying to eliminate excess fluids, which is contrary to the signs of fluid overload.

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