HESI LPN
HESI PN Exit Exam
1. A client who is post-operative from a spinal fusion surgery reports a sudden onset of severe headache when sitting up. What is the nurse’s priority action?
- A. Administer pain medication.
- B. Lay the client flat and notify the healthcare provider.
- C. Encourage the client to drink more fluids.
- D. Assess the client’s surgical site for drainage.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: In this scenario, the correct action is to lay the client flat and notify the healthcare provider. A severe headache in a post-operative spinal fusion patient can indicate a spinal fluid leak, which is a medical emergency. By laying the client flat, the nurse helps reduce symptoms by decreasing pressure differentials. Administering pain medication without further assessment or intervention is inappropriate before identifying the cause of the headache. Encouraging the client to drink more fluids is not the priority when a serious complication like a spinal fluid leak is suspected. While assessing the surgical site is important, it is not the priority when a potentially life-threatening complication is suspected.
2. A 35-year-old male client on the psychiatric unit of a general hospital believes that someone is trying to poison him. The nurse understands that a client's delusions are most likely related to his
- A. early childhood experiences involving authority issues.
- B. anger about being hospitalized.
- C. low self-esteem.
- D. phobic fear of food.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Psychotic clients often experience delusions due to difficulties with trust and low self-esteem (C). In this case, the client's belief that someone is trying to poison him is likely a manifestation of his underlying issues with trust and self-worth. Building trust and promoting positive self-esteem are essential in caring for such clients. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because delusions are not primarily related to early childhood experiences involving authority issues, anger about hospitalization, or phobic fear of food. These factors do not directly contribute to the development of delusions in psychotic clients.
3. When a healthcare professional makes an initial assessment of a client who is post-op following gastric resection, the client's NG tube is not draining. The healthcare professional's attempt to irrigate the tube with 10ml of 0.9% NaCl was unsuccessful, so they determine that the tube was obstructed. Which of the following actions should the healthcare professional take?
- A. Notify the healthcare provider.
- B. Attempt to irrigate the tube with a larger volume of saline.
- C. Replace the NG tube with a new one.
- D. Reposition the client to see if that helps the tube drain.
Correct answer: A
Rationale: If an NG tube is obstructed and cannot be irrigated successfully, notifying the healthcare provider is the appropriate action to take for further management. This is crucial as the healthcare provider may need to assess the situation, provide guidance, or intervene with specific interventions. Attempting to irrigate the tube with a larger volume of saline (Choice B) may exacerbate the situation if the tube is truly obstructed. Replacing the NG tube with a new one (Choice C) should not be the initial action unless advised by the healthcare provider. Repositioning the client (Choice D) may not necessarily resolve the tube obstruction and should not be the primary intervention in this scenario.
4. A community health RN believes that immunization rates in a lower socioeconomic section of the city are probably below the target set by the state health department. What action should the RN take FIRST to intervene with this health problem?
- A. Take a health history of the members of the community
- B. Initiate an immunization program for the community
- C. Review current epidemiological population data that might document a low immunization rate
- D. Refer all clients to the local health department
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct first action for the community health RN to take in this situation is to review current epidemiological population data that might document a low immunization rate. By doing so, the RN can gather evidence to support further intervention strategies. Option A is incorrect because taking a health history would not provide immediate data on immunization rates in the community. Option B is incorrect as initiating an immunization program without confirming the actual immunization rates may not address the specific needs of the community. Option D is incorrect as a blanket referral without assessing the situation may not be the most effective first step.
5. After performing foot care, the nurse checks the medical record and discovers that the patient has a disorder on the sole of the foot caused by a virus. Which condition did the nurse most likely observe?
- A. Corns
- B. A callus
- C. Plantar warts
- D. Athlete's foot
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The nurse most likely observed plantar warts, which appear on the sole of the foot and are caused by the papillomavirus. Corns (Choice A) and calluses (Choice B) are areas of thickened skin caused by pressure or friction and are not typically associated with viruses. Athlete's foot (Choice D) is a fungal infection that usually affects the skin between the toes and is not caused by a virus like plantar warts.