Nursing Elites

1. A patient was taking 310 mg of an antidepressant daily. The doctor reduced the dosage by 1/5, and then reduced it again by 20 mg. What is the patient’s final dosage?

• A. 20 mg
• B. 42 mg
• C. 228 mg
• D. 248 mg

Correct answer: C

Rationale: To calculate the final dosage, first find 1/5 of 310 mg, which is 62 mg, and subtract it from the original dosage. This gives 310 mg - 62 mg = 248 mg. Then, subtract an additional 20 mg from the result to get the final dosage: 248 mg - 20 mg = 228 mg. Therefore, the patient's final dosage is 228 mg. Choice A (20 mg) is incorrect because it only considers the second reduction of 20 mg and misses the initial reduction by 1/5. Choice B (42 mg) is incorrect as it miscalculates the reduction amounts. Choice D (248 mg) is incorrect as it does not account for the second reduction of 20 mg.

2. Simplify (x^2 - y^2) / (x - y)

• A. x + y
• B. x - y
• C. 1
• D. (x + y)/(x - y)

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The expression 𝑥^2 - 𝑦^2 is a difference of squares, which follows the identity: 𝑥^2 - 𝑦^2 = (𝑥 + 𝑦)(𝑥 - 𝑦). Therefore, the given expression becomes: (𝑥^2 - 𝑦^2) / (𝑥 - 𝑦) = (𝑥 + 𝑦)(𝑥 - 𝑦) / (𝑥 - 𝑦). Since (𝑥 - 𝑦) appears in both the numerator and the denominator, they cancel each other out, leaving 𝑥 + 𝑦. Thus, the simplified form of (𝑥^2 - 𝑦^2) / (𝑥 - 𝑦) is 𝑥 + 𝑦. Therefore, the correct answer is A (x + y). Option B (x - y) is incorrect as it does not result from simplifying the given expression. Option C (1) is incorrect as it does not account for the variables x and y present in the expression. Option D ((x + y)/(x - y)) is incorrect as it presents the simplified form in a different format than the correct answer.

3. Which measure for the center of a small sample set would be most affected by outliers?

• A. Mean
• B. Median
• C. Mode
• D. None of the above

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The mean is calculated by summing all values in a dataset and then dividing by the total number of values. Outliers, which are data points significantly different from the other values, can greatly impact the mean because they affect the sum. The mean is sensitive to extreme values, making it the measure for the center of a small sample set most affected by outliers. The median, on the other hand, is not influenced by outliers as it represents the middle value when the data points are ordered. The mode is the value that appears most frequently in the dataset and is not directly influenced by outliers. Therefore, the correct answer is the mean, as it is highly influenced by outliers in a small sample set.

4. Sally wants to buy a used truck for her delivery business. Truck A is priced at $450 and gets 25 miles per gallon. Truck B costs $650 and gets 35 miles per gallon. If gasoline costs $4 per gallon, how many miles must Sally drive to make truck B the better buy?

• A. 500
• B. 7500
• C. 1750
• D. 4375

Correct answer: D

Rationale: To determine the breakeven point where Truck B becomes the better buy, we need to compare the total costs for both trucks. For Truck A: Total cost = $450 + (miles / 25) * $4. For Truck B: Total cost = $650 + (miles / 35) * $4. To find the point where Truck B is the better buy, set the two total cost equations equal to each other and solve for miles. By solving this equation, we find that Sally must drive 4375 miles for Truck B to be the better buy. Choice A (500) is too low, Choice B (7500) is too high, and Choice C (1750) does not represent the breakeven point where Truck B becomes more cost-effective.

5. What is the probability of consecutively pulling two more orange blocks, without replacement, from a bag containing 3 orange blocks, 5 green blocks, and 4 purple blocks?

• A. 3/12
• B. 3/55
• C. 2/10
• D. 1/3

Correct answer: B

Rationale: To calculate the probability of consecutively pulling two more orange blocks without replacement, we first determine the probability of pulling an orange block on the first draw, which is 3/12 (3 orange blocks out of 12 total blocks). After removing one orange block, there are only 11 blocks left, so the probability of pulling another orange block on the second draw is 2/11. To find the combined probability, we multiply the probabilities together: (3/12) * (2/11) = 6/132 = 3/55. Therefore, the correct answer is B. Choice A (3/12) incorrectly simplifies the probability before calculating the second draw. Choice C (2/10) does not consider the specific number of orange blocks in the bag. Choice D (1/3) does not account for the reduced number of blocks after the first draw.

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