Nursing Elites

1. A client is admitted to the acute care unit. Initial laboratory values reveal serum sodium of 170meq/L. What behavior changes would be most common for this client?

• A. Anger
• B. Mania
• C. Depression
• D. Psychosis

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Mania.' A client with a serum sodium level of 170 meq/L has hypernatremia, which can lead to manic behavior. Hypernatremia is associated with irritability, restlessness, confusion, and in severe cases, manic symptoms. Choices A, C, and D (Anger, Depression, Psychosis) are not typically associated with hypernatremia and are, therefore, incorrect in this context.

2. A client with schizophrenia says, 'I'm away for the day ... but don't think we should play "? or do we have feet of clay?' Which alteration in the client's speech does the nurse document?

• A. Neologism
• B. Word salad
• C. Clang association
• D. Associative looseness

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Associative looseness.' In the provided speech, the client shows associative looseness by making loose connections between phrases without a clear logical link. Clang association involves rhyming words without regard for their meaning. Neologism refers to made-up words with specific meaning to the client, and word salad is a jumble of words that lack coherence either to the listener or the client. Understanding these speech patterns associated with schizophrenia is crucial in identifying the specific alteration in speech displayed by the client in this scenario.

3. Narrow therapeutic index medications:

• A. are drug formulations with limited pharmacokinetic variability.
• B. have limited value and require no monitoring of blood levels.
• C. have less than a twofold difference in minimum toxic levels and minimum effective concentration in the blood
• D. have limited potency and side effects.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The therapeutic index is the ratio between the median lethal dose and median effective dose of a drug, indicating the safety margin. Narrow therapeutic index medications have a small difference between minimum toxic levels and minimum effective concentration in the blood, making them high-risk drugs that require close monitoring to avoid toxicity. Choice A is incorrect because pharmacokinetics refer to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, not the therapeutic index. Choice B is incorrect because narrow therapeutic index drugs necessitate monitoring due to their narrow margin of safety. Choice D is incorrect because narrow therapeutic index drugs do not necessarily have limited potency but are characterized by a small window between efficacy and toxicity.

4. 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.

5. A mother has just given birth to a baby who died soon after. The mother has been crying and states, "I can't believe this has happened to me. I did everything right during this pregnancy."? How should the nurse respond to this mother?

• A. Tell her she did nothing wrong; it was God's will.
• B. Tell her she can have another baby.
• C. Tell her that her behavior is not going to solve anything.
• D. Tell her nothing and let her mourn this loss in the manner she chooses.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Perinatal loss is a significant tragedy for parents, and it is crucial to provide sensitive and compassionate care. When a mother expresses her disbelief and feelings of doing everything right during the pregnancy, it is important for the nurse to acknowledge her pain and allow her to grieve in her way. Telling her that she did nothing wrong and it was God's will (Choice A) may not be comforting and can come across as dismissive of her feelings. Suggesting she can have another baby (Choice B) is insensitive and overlooks the grief she is experiencing for the current loss. Telling her that her behavior is not going to solve anything (Choice C) is invalidating her emotions and not supportive in this situation. Therefore, the best approach is to support her in her mourning process by respecting her feelings and allowing her to express her grief as she sees fit.

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