Nursing Elites

1. A healthcare professional is preparing to administer morphine for severe pain. What is the priority assessment the professional should make before administration?

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

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Before administering morphine, the priority assessment the healthcare professional should make is the client's respiratory rate. Morphine can cause respiratory depression, so assessing the respiratory rate is crucial to prevent any potential complications. Assessing blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature are important as well, but they are not the priority when administering morphine for severe pain.

2. A nurse is caring for a client 4 hours postoperative following a thyroidectomy who reports fullness in the throat. What should the nurse assess for?

• A. Hypocalcemia
• B. Hemorrhage
• C. Hypoxia
• D. Hypothyroidism

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Fullness in the throat after a thyroidectomy could indicate bleeding or a hematoma, which can compress the airway, so hemorrhage is the priority concern. Hypocalcemia typically presents with symptoms like tingling around the mouth or in the extremities, muscle cramps, or seizures, not fullness in the throat. Hypoxia would manifest with symptoms like shortness of breath, confusion, or cyanosis, rather than a feeling of fullness in the throat. Hypothyroidism symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, and cold intolerance, but it does not typically cause acute fullness in the throat postoperatively.

3. A nurse is planning care for a client who has chronic renal failure. Which action should the nurse include in the plan of care?

• A. Encourage increased fluid intake
• B. Restrict protein intake to the RDA
• C. Increase dietary potassium
• D. Encourage foods high in sodium

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct action the nurse should include in the plan of care for a client with chronic renal failure is to restrict protein intake to the RDA. This is important because limiting protein helps reduce the buildup of waste products that the kidneys are unable to efficiently excrete. Encouraging increased fluid intake (choice A) may further burden the kidneys, increasing the risk of fluid overload. Increasing dietary potassium (choice C) is not recommended in chronic renal failure as impaired kidneys have difficulty regulating potassium levels. Encouraging foods high in sodium (choice D) is also not appropriate as excessive sodium intake can lead to fluid retention and hypertension, which are detrimental in renal failure.

4. A client had a pituitary tumor removed. Which of the following findings requires further assessment?

• A. Glasgow scale score of 15
• B. Blood drainage on dressing measuring 3 cm
• C. Report of dry mouth
• D. Urinary output greater than fluid intake

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D. Increased urinary output greater than fluid intake can indicate diabetes insipidus, a common complication after pituitary surgery. Diabetes insipidus is characterized by the excretion of a large volume of dilute urine, leading to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. This finding requires immediate assessment and intervention. Choice A, a Glasgow scale score of 15, indicates normal neurological functioning. Choice B, blood drainage on dressing measuring 3 cm, may require monitoring but is not a priority over the potential complication of diabetes insipidus. Choice C, a report of dry mouth, is a common complaint postoperatively and can be managed with oral care measures.

5. A nurse is caring for a client who has been taking haloperidol for several years. Which of the following assessment findings should the nurse recognize as a long-term side effect of this medication?

• A. Lip-smacking
• B. Agranulocytosis
• C. Clang association
• D. Alopecia

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Lip-smacking is a symptom of tardive dyskinesia, a long-term side effect of antipsychotic medications like haloperidol, characterized by involuntary movements of the face and jaw. Agranulocytosis (Choice B) is a rare but serious side effect of some medications, characterized by a dangerously low white blood cell count. Clang association (Choice C) is a thought disorder characterized by the association of words based on sound rather than meaning. Alopecia (Choice D) refers to hair loss, which is not a known long-term side effect of haloperidol.

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