Nursing Elites

1. When planning the discharge of a child who had surgery for a congenital heart defect, what is an important aspect of the discharge teaching?

• A. Teaching the parents about signs of infection
• B. Providing instructions on wound care
• C. Scheduling follow-up appointments
• D. Explaining the use of prescribed medications

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Explaining the use of prescribed medications is crucial because it helps ensure proper management of the child’s condition after discharge. While teaching the parents about signs of infection and providing instructions on wound care are important aspects of postoperative care, they are not as critical as ensuring the correct understanding and administration of prescribed medications. Scheduling follow-up appointments is also important but does not directly impact the immediate post-discharge care and medication adherence.

2. A 3-year-old child ingests a substance that may be a poison. The parent calls a neighbor who is a nurse and asks what to do. What should the nurse recommend the parent to do?

• A. Administer syrup of ipecac.
• B. Call the poison control center.
• C. Take the child to the emergency department.
• D. Give the child bread dipped in milk to absorb the poison.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In cases of potential poisoning, immediate guidance from professionals is crucial. Administering syrup of ipecac is no longer recommended routinely due to potential risks and lack of benefit. Taking the child to the emergency department is necessary in severe cases but may not always be the immediate action needed. Giving the child bread dipped in milk is not an appropriate method to manage poisoning and could potentially worsen the situation. Therefore, the most appropriate action for the nurse to recommend is to call the poison control center for expert advice on managing the situation.

3. You are managing a 10-month-old infant who has had severe diarrhea and vomiting for 3 days and is now showing signs of shock. You have initiated supplemental oxygen therapy and elevated the lower extremities. En route to the hospital, you note that the child's work of breathing has increased. What must you do first?

• A. Lower the extremities and reassess the child
• B. Begin positive pressure ventilations and reassess the child
• C. Place a nasopharyngeal airway and increase the oxygen flow
• D. Listen to the lungs with a stethoscope for abnormal breath sounds

Correct answer: A

Rationale: In this scenario, the infant is showing signs of shock with increased work of breathing. Lowering the extremities helps improve venous return to the heart, cardiac output, and oxygenation by reducing the pressure on the diaphragm. This action can alleviate the respiratory distress and is a critical step to take in a child with signs of shock. Beginning positive pressure ventilations (Choice B) should be considered if the infant's respiratory distress worsens despite lowering the extremities. Placing a nasopharyngeal airway and increasing oxygen flow (Choice C) may not directly address the increased work of breathing or the underlying shock condition. Listening to the lungs with a stethoscope (Choice D) may provide information on lung sounds but does not address the immediate need to improve breathing in a child with signs of shock.

4. The father is being taught by a nurse how to stimulate his 7-year-old son who has a 'slow-to-warm-up' temperament. Which guidance will be most successful?

• A. Telling him to read stories to the child about famous athletes
• B. Suggesting he take the child to watch him play softball
• C. Urging him to sign the child up for little league football
• D. Proposing wrestling with the child and letting him win

Correct answer: A

Rationale: For a child with a 'slow-to-warm-up' temperament, it is important to choose activities that are less intense and allow for gradual engagement. Reading stories to the child about famous athletes would be the most successful approach as it is less active and more likely to be acceptable to the child's temperament. Choice B and C involve more active and potentially overwhelming activities, which may not suit the child's temperament. Choice D, proposing wrestling and letting the child win, might create a competitive environment that could be counterproductive for a 'slow-to-warm-up' child.

5. Seizures in children most often result from

• A. an abrupt rise in body temperature
• B. an inflammatory process in the brain
• C. a temperature greater than 102°F
• D. a life-threatening infection

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Seizures in children most often result from an abrupt rise in body temperature, leading to febrile seizures. Febrile seizures are common in young children and are typically triggered by a rapid increase in body temperature, often due to infections or other causes. An inflammatory process in the brain (Choice B) is less common as a cause of seizures in children and is usually associated with specific conditions like encephalitis or meningitis. While a temperature greater than 102°F (Choice C) may trigger a febrile seizure, it is the abrupt rise in temperature that is the primary cause. Choice D, a life-threatening infection, is a broad and less specific cause compared to the direct trigger of an abrupt rise in body temperature.

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