Nursing Elites

1. A nurse is assessing a client diagnosed with schizophrenia. The nurse asks the client to interpret the following statement: “When the cat’s away, the mice will play.” The client responds, “The mice come out when the cat is not around.” The nurse should document this finding as:

• A. Echolalia
• B. Associative looseness
• C. Neologisms
• D. Concrete thinking

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The client’s literal interpretation of the statement is an example of concrete thinking, a cognitive symptom often seen in schizophrenia where abstract thinking is impaired. Choice A, Echolalia, is the repetition of words spoken by others, which is not demonstrated in this scenario. Choice B, Associative looseness, refers to a disturbance in the logical progression of thoughts, leading to a disorganized thought process. Choice C, Neologisms, involves creating new words or phrases with unique meanings, which is not evident in the client's response.

2. A nurse in the telemetry unit is receiving the laboratory findings for an adult male client who is being treated for a myocardial infarction. Which of the following is an expected finding for the client?

• A. Troponin I (TnI) 8 ng/mL
• B. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) 10 ng/L
• C. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 45 units/L
• D. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) 75 mg/dL

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. Troponin I is a specific marker for myocardial infarction, and levels of 8 ng/mL are elevated, indicating heart muscle damage. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) is more related to heart failure rather than myocardial infarction, making choice B incorrect. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is a liver enzyme and not specific to myocardial infarction, so choice C is incorrect. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is a type of cholesterol and is not typically used to diagnose or monitor myocardial infarction, making choice D incorrect.

3. A nurse is assessing a client with suspected myocardial infarction. Which finding should the nurse report to the provider?

• A. Pain radiating to the left arm
• B. Pain relieved by rest
• C. Pain worsened with breathing
• D. Pain relieved by antacids

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Pain radiating to the left arm. This is a classic symptom of myocardial infarction and indicates possible heart involvement. Reporting this finding to the provider is crucial for prompt evaluation and intervention. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect. Pain relieved by rest, pain worsened with breathing, and pain relieved by antacids are not typical symptoms of myocardial infarction. These findings do not raise the same level of concern as pain radiating to the left arm and are less indicative of cardiac involvement.

4. A nurse is assessing a client who is 24 hours postpartum. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the healthcare provider?

• A. Uterine fundus is firm and midline
• B. Client's perineal pad is saturated in 15 minutes
• C. Client reports breast tenderness when breastfeeding
• D. Client's temperature is 100.4°F

Correct answer: B

Rationale: A perineal pad saturated in 15 minutes is a sign of excessive postpartum bleeding, which requires immediate medical attention to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. The other findings are normal postpartum occurrences. A firm and midline uterine fundus indicates proper involution, breast tenderness during breastfeeding is common due to engorgement, and a temperature of 100.4°F is considered within the normal range for the postpartum period.

5. A client with heart failure is receiving discharge teaching. Which statement by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?

• A. I will weigh myself once a week.
• B. I will take my diuretic medication in the evening.
• C. I will limit my fluid intake to 3 liters per day.
• D. I will call my doctor if I notice swelling in my feet.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. Swelling in the feet can indicate worsening heart failure due to fluid retention, and clients should report this to their healthcare provider immediately. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because weighing once a week may not provide timely information on fluid retention, timing of diuretic medication is usually advised in the morning to prevent nocturia, and limiting fluid intake to 3 liters per day may not be appropriate for all clients with heart failure.

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