Nursing Elites

1. A nurse is planning care for a hospitalized toddler. To best maintain the toddler's sense of control and security and ease feelings of helplessness and fear, the nurse should perform which action?

• A. Allow the toddler to play with other children in the nursing unit playroom.
• B. Spend as much time as possible with the toddler.
• C. Allow the toddler to select toys from the nursing unit playroom that can be brought into the toddler's hospital room.
• D. Keep hospital routines as similar as possible to those at home.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The best action for the nurse to take to help a hospitalized toddler maintain a sense of control and security and ease feelings of helplessness and fear is to keep hospital routines as similar as possible to those at home. By incorporating the toddler's usual rituals and routines from home into nursing care activities, the nurse can reduce the stress of hospitalization. This approach gives the toddler a sense of familiarity, control, and security, which can alleviate feelings of helplessness and fear. Allowing the toddler to play with other children in the nursing unit playroom and selecting toys are beneficial activities, but maintaining hospital routines similar to those at home is the most effective way to support the toddler's emotional well-being during hospitalization.

2. Which of the following statements, if made by the parents of a newborn, does not indicate a need for further teaching about cord care?

• A. "I should put alcohol on my baby's cord 3-4 times a day."?
• B. "I should put the baby's diaper on so that it covers the cord."?
• C. "I should call the physician if the cord becomes dark."?
• D. "I should wash my hands before and after I take care of the cord."?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Explanation: Parents should be taught that putting alcohol or other antimicrobials on the cord is no longer recommended for cord care. This can interfere with the natural healing process and may increase the risk of irritation or infection. Washing hands before and after providing cord care is essential to prevent the transfer of pathogens. Placing the baby's diaper below the cord allows it to be exposed to air and promotes drying, reducing the risk of infection. It is normal for the cord to turn dark as it dries, so calling the physician only if the cord becomes red, swollen, or has discharge is appropriate. Therefore, the statement '"I should put alcohol on my baby's cord 3-4 times a day."?' indicates a need for further teaching about cord care.

3. When a nurse-midwife, performing a vaginal examination of a client who suspects that she is pregnant, documents the presence of the Chadwick sign, what does this indicate?

• A. That the cervix appears violet
• B. That cervical softening is present
• C. A positive sign of pregnancy
• D. A thinning of the cervix

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct interpretation of the Chadwick sign is that the cervix appears violet in color. This sign is a probable sign of pregnancy, characterized by the violet coloration of the cervix due to increased vascularity of the pelvic organs. It is not a definitive positive sign of pregnancy but rather a probable one. Choices B and D are incorrect as cervical softening is known as the Goodell sign, and thinning of the cervix is referred to as the Hegar sign. These signs are also probable signs of pregnancy, but they do not specifically indicate the Chadwick sign.

4. A middle-aged woman tells the nurse that she has been experiencing irregular menses for the past six months. The nurse should assess the woman for other symptoms of:

• A. climacteric
• B. menopause
• C. perimenopause
• D. postmenopause

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Perimenopause refers to a period in which hormonal changes occur gradually, ovarian function diminishes, and menses become irregular. It typically lasts around five years. In the case of the middle-aged woman experiencing irregular menses for six months, she aligns with perimenopause as it involves irregular menstrual cycles, one of the common symptoms during this transitional phase. Climacteric is a term describing the period of life with physiologic changes leading to the end of a woman's reproductive ability but not specifically characterized by irregular menses. Menopause marks the permanent cessation of menses and does not involve the transitional irregularities seen in perimenopause. Postmenopause is the phase after the completion of menopausal changes.

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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