Nursing Elites

1. A nurse is participating in a planning conference to improve dietary measures for an older client experiencing dysphagia. Which action should the nurse suggest including in the plan of care?

• A. Monitoring the client during meals to ensure that food is swallowed
• B. Encouraging the client to feed themselves
• C. Consulting with the physician regarding feeding through an enteral tube
• D. Ensuring that the diet consists of both solids and liquids

Correct answer: A

Rationale: For clients with dysphagia, ensuring successful swallowing of food and preventing aspiration is crucial. Therefore, the nurse should suggest monitoring the client closely during meals to provide assistance as needed. While a balanced diet is important, special considerations like adding thickeners for liquids may be required for dysphagia clients. Consulting with a physician about enteral tube feeding should be based on the severity of the condition, making it a premature step without clear indications. Encouraging self-feeding may not be appropriate for dysphagia clients who require close monitoring and assistance, as it could increase the risk of complications.

2. The LPN is admitting a client to the unit, and the client has rapidly blinking eyes, a stuck-out tongue, and a distorted posture. Which of these medications is the client most likely taking?

• A. Clozapine
• B. Fluoxetine
• C. Ondansetron
• D. Haloperidol

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is Haloperidol. Haloperidol is a first-generation antipsychotic that blocks dopamine receptors and is most likely to cause extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS), such as tardive dyskinesia. Symptoms of tardive dyskinesia include rapid blinking, mouth movements, sticking out the tongue, rapid body movements, and a distorted posture. Haloperidol is associated with a higher risk of EPS compared to other antipsychotic medications like Clozapine. Clozapine is known for having a lower risk of causing EPS. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used for depression and anxiety, not typically associated with these movement disorder symptoms. Ondansetron is an antiemetic used to prevent nausea and vomiting, not linked to these extrapyramidal symptoms.

3. A nurse is assisting with developing a plan of care for an older client to help maintain an adequate sleep pattern. Which action should the nurse suggest be included in the plan?

• A. Encouraging bedtime reading or listening to music
• B. Encouraging at least one daytime nap
• C. Discouraging the use of a nightlight at bedtime
• D. Discouraging social interaction, particularly at bedtime

Correct answer: A

Rationale: To help maintain an adequate sleep pattern in older clients, it is essential to include activities that promote relaxation and a conducive sleep environment. Encouraging bedtime reading or listening to music can help the client unwind and prepare for sleep. Daytime naps should be discouraged to ensure a better nighttime sleep. Social interaction, especially positive interactions, can be beneficial and should not be discouraged. The use of a nightlight can create a safe and comfortable environment for the client, so it should not be discouraged unless specifically contraindicated.

4. What causes an older female client's hair to turn gray?

• A. ''A loss of melanin occurs in the normal aging process.''
• B. ''The number of sweat glands and blood vessels decreases in the normal aging process.''
• C. ''The skin on the scalp becomes thin, causing moisture to escape.''
• D. ''It is caused by hereditary factors.''

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'A loss of melanin occurs in the normal aging process.' Graying hair in older adults is primarily due to a decrease in the number of melanocytes responsible for providing pigment and hair color. This reduction in melanin production leads to gray hair. The other choices are incorrect. While it is true that the skin becomes thinner with aging and the number of sweat glands and blood vessels decreases, these changes are not directly related to graying hair. Additionally, hereditary factors can influence when graying starts, but they do not cause the graying of hair itself.

5. A client with peripheral artery disease tells the nurse that pain develops in his left calf when he is walking and subsides with rest. The nurse documents that the client is most likely experiencing which disorder?

• A. Venous insufficiency
• B. Intermittent claudication
• C. Sore muscles from overexertion
• D. Muscle cramps related to musculoskeletal problems

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Leg pain characteristic of peripheral artery disease is known as intermittent claudication. The client can walk only a certain distance before cramping, burning, muscle discomfort, or pain forces them to stop, with the pain subsiding after rest. The pain is reproducible, and as the disease progresses, the client can walk shorter distances before the pain recurs. Ultimately, pain may even occur at rest. Venous insufficiency (Choice A) involves impaired blood flow in the veins, leading to swelling and skin changes but not typically pain associated with exercise. Sore muscles from overexertion (Choice C) and muscle cramps related to musculoskeletal problems (Choice D) do not present with the characteristic pattern of pain associated with peripheral artery disease.

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