Nursing Elites

1. While caring for a client receiving morphine, what assessment is the priority for a nurse to conduct?

• A. Blood pressure
• B. Heart rate
• C. Respiratory rate
• D. Temperature

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is monitoring the respiratory rate. Morphine can depress respiratory function, leading to respiratory depression or arrest. Therefore, closely monitoring the client's respiratory rate is crucial to detect any signs of respiratory distress. While blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature are important assessments, in this scenario, respiratory rate takes precedence due to the potential respiratory complications associated with morphine administration.

2. After surgery, a patient is experiencing pain. What is the nurse's priority action?

• A. Administer pain medication as prescribed.
• B. Assess the patient's pain using a pain scale.
• C. Offer the patient non-pharmacological pain relief methods.
• D. Reassess the patient's pain level after 30 minutes.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is to assess the patient's pain using a pain scale. This is the priority action because it allows the nurse to obtain an objective measure of the patient's pain intensity. By accurately assessing the pain level, the nurse can determine the appropriate intervention, which may include administering pain medication as prescribed (choice A) or offering non-pharmacological pain relief methods (choice C). Reassessing the patient's pain level after 30 minutes (choice D) is important but comes after the initial assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions implemented.

3. When educating a patient with hypertension about lifestyle changes, what is the most crucial advice to provide?

• A. Advise the patient to reduce salt intake.
• B. Instruct the patient to limit alcohol consumption.
• C. Recommend the patient to exercise for 30 minutes every day.
• D. Instruct the patient to avoid high-cholesterol foods.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The most critical lifestyle change for a patient with hypertension is to reduce salt intake. Excessive salt consumption can lead to increased blood pressure levels. While limiting alcohol consumption (Choice B) and regular exercise (Choice C) are also beneficial for managing hypertension, reducing salt intake has a more direct impact on blood pressure control. Avoiding high-cholesterol foods (Choice D) is important for heart health but may not have as significant an impact on blood pressure as reducing salt intake.

4. The patient has the nursing diagnosis of Impaired physical mobility related to pain in the left shoulder. Which priority action will the nurse take?

• A. Assist the patient with comfort measures.
• B. Keep the patient as mobile as possible.
• C. Encourage the patient to perform ROM.
• D. Encourage the patient to do self-care.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: 'Assist the patient with comfort measures.' When a patient is experiencing impaired physical mobility due to pain, the priority action is to provide comfort measures to help manage the pain. By addressing the pain, the patient may then feel more comfortable moving and engaging in mobility exercises. Option B, 'Keep the patient as mobile as possible,' could exacerbate the pain and should not be the initial action. While encouraging range of motion (ROM) exercises (Option C) and self-care (Option D) are important aspects of care, addressing pain and comfort should take precedence in this scenario.

5. A healthcare provider is reviewing a client's lab results. Which of the following lab values should the provider report?

• A. Magnesium 1.9 mEq/L
• B. Potassium 3.6 mEq/L
• C. Sodium 126 mEq/L
• D. Chloride 99 mEq/L

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Sodium 126 mEq/L. A sodium level of 126 mEq/L is below the normal range, indicating hyponatremia, which can have serious health implications and should be reported to the healthcare provider for further evaluation and intervention. Choices A, B, and D are within or close to the normal ranges for magnesium, potassium, and chloride, respectively, and do not require immediate reporting as they are not significantly abnormal.

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