Nursing Elites

1. A charge nurse making rounds observes that an assistive personnel (AP) has applied wrist restraints to a client who is agitated and does not have a prescription for restraints. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

• A. Remove the restraints from the client's wrists
• B. Review the chart for nonrestraint alternatives for agitation
• C. Speak with the AP about the incident
• D. Inform the unit manager of the incident

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take first is to remove the restraints from the client's wrists. Restraints should not be applied without a prescription due to the risk of harm to the client. Removing the restraints promptly is a priority to ensure the client's safety. Reviewing nonrestraint alternatives, speaking with the AP, and informing the unit manager can follow after ensuring the client's immediate safety by removing the restraints.

2. The doctor has ordered 20 cc per hour of normal saline intravenously for your pediatric patient. You will be using pediatric intravenous tubing that delivers 60 cc per drop. How many drops per minute will you administer using this pediatric intravenous set?

• A. 30 drops per minute
• B. 25 drops per minute
• C. 20 drops per minute
• D. 22 drops per minute

Correct answer: C

Rationale: To calculate the drops per minute, first convert the ordered amount to drops per minute. 20 cc per hour equals 20 drops per hour with 60 cc per drop tubing, which is equivalent to 20 drops per hour * 60 cc per drop = 1200 drops per hour. To find drops per minute, divide 1200 by 60 (minutes in an hour), which equals 20 drops per minute. Therefore, the correct answer is 20 drops per minute. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect as they do not reflect the correct calculation based on the provided information.

3. A nurse is preparing to discharge a client who has end-stage heart failure. The client's partner tells the nurse she can no longer handle caring for the client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

• A. Request another family member to assist the client's partner with care
• B. Recommend the partner to place the client in a long-term care facility
• C. Contact the case manager to discuss discharge options
• D. Ask the provider to delay the client's discharge home for a few more days

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The nurse should contact the case manager to discuss discharge options and support the client's partner. This action is appropriate as it involves seeking professional guidance and support for the client's partner who is struggling to care for the client. Option A is not the best choice as it solely focuses on involving another family member without addressing the partner's concerns directly. Option B is premature as recommending long-term care should be a well-considered decision involving multiple healthcare professionals. Option D delays the inevitable without providing a solution to the partner's current challenges.

4. Your client is adversely affected with fever, night sweats, occult hematuria, tenderness of the spleen, and Osler's nodes. What disorder would you most likely suspect?

• A. Tuberculosis
• B. AIDS/HIV
• C. Pericarditis
• D. Endocarditis

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The client is likely suffering from endocarditis based on the symptoms described. Endocarditis is characterized by fever, night sweats, hematuria, splenomegaly (tenderness of the spleen), and Osler's nodes (painful nodules on the pads of the fingers or toes). While tuberculosis and AIDS/HIV can present with some similar symptoms, the presence of Osler's nodes is more specific to endocarditis. Pericarditis typically presents with chest pain, not the combination of symptoms seen in this case.

5. You are caring for a patient who has no cognitive functioning but only basic human functions such as opening the eyes and the sleep-wake cycle. What level of consciousness does this patient have?

• A. Obtunded
• B. A persistent vegetative state
• C. Locked-in syndrome
• D. Brain death

Correct answer: B

Rationale: A persistent vegetative state is characterized by the absence of cognitive functioning while basic human functions like the sleep-wake cycle are retained. In this state, the patient shows reflex movements and basic responses to stimuli but lacks awareness or higher mental functions. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect because: A) Obtunded refers to a decreased level of consciousness, not the absence of cognitive functioning. C) Locked-in syndrome is a condition where the patient is aware and awake but cannot move or communicate due to complete paralysis of nearly all voluntary muscles except for vertical eye movements and blinking. D) Brain death is the irreversible cessation of all brain activity, including the brainstem, leading to the loss of all functions of the brain.

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