Nursing Elites

1. After assessing an older adult with a suspected cerebrovascular accident (CVA), the nurse documents the client's right upper arm weakness and slurred speech. When the client complains of a severe headache and nausea, and the neurological assessment remains unchanged, which action should the nurse implement first?

• A. Administer an oral analgesic with antiemetic
• B. Collect blood for coagulation times
• C. Send the client for a computed tomography scan of the brain
• D. Obtain a history of medication use, recent surgery, or injury

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In this scenario, the priority action for the nurse is to send the client for a computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain. A CT scan is crucial in assessing acute changes or bleeding that could influence treatment decisions in a suspected cerebrovascular accident (CVA). While addressing symptoms like headache and nausea is important, ruling out acute changes in the brain with a CT scan takes precedence in this situation. Collecting blood for coagulation times may be necessary but is not the initial priority. Obtaining a history of medication use, recent surgery, or injury is also important but not the first action to take when a CVA is suspected.

2. A young adult male who is being seen at the employee health care clinic for an annual assessment tells the nurse that his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was his age and that life with a schizophrenic mother was difficult indeed. Which response is best for the nurse to provide?

• A. Ask the client if he is worried about becoming schizophrenic at the age his mother was diagnosed.
• B. Encourage the client to seek genetic counseling to determine his risk for mental illness.
• C. Inform the client that his mother’s schizophrenia has affected his psychological development.
• D. Tell the client that mental illness has a familial predisposition so he should see a psychiatrist.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Genetic counseling can help assess risk and provide guidance for the client’s concerns about potential hereditary conditions.

3. A client presents to the healthcare provider with fatigue, poor appetite, general malaise, and vague joint pain that improves mid-morning. The client has been using over-the-counter ibuprofen for several months. The healthcare provider makes an initial diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Which laboratory test should the nurse report to the healthcare provider?

• A. Sedimentation rate
• B. White blood cell count
• C. Anti–CCP antibodies
• D. Activated Clotting Time

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Sedimentation rate. Sedimentation rate, Anti–CCP antibodies, and C-reactive protein are commonly used laboratory tests to indicate inflammation and help diagnose rheumatoid arthritis. An elevated sedimentation rate is a nonspecific indicator of inflammation in the body, which is often seen in RA. White blood cell count is not specific for RA and is not typically significant in the diagnosis. Anti–CCP antibodies are specific to RA and are useful in confirming the diagnosis. Activated Clotting Time is not relevant to the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis as it is not specific to this condition.

4. A client in the intensive care unit is being mechanically ventilated, has an indwelling urinary catheter in place, and is exhibiting signs of restlessness. Which action should the nurse take first?

• A. Review the heart rhythm on cardiac monitors
• B. Check urinary catheter for obstruction
• C. Auscultate bilateral breath sounds
• D. Give PRN dose of lorazepam (Ativan)

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When a client in the intensive care unit is mechanically ventilated, has an indwelling urinary catheter, and is restless, the priority action is to check the urinary catheter for obstruction. Restlessness in this context could be due to a blocked catheter causing discomfort or urinary retention, which needs immediate attention to prevent complications. Reviewing the heart rhythm on cardiac monitors can be important but is not the priority in this scenario. Auscultating bilateral breath sounds is also important in a ventilated client but addressing the potential immediate issue of a blocked catheter takes precedence. Giving a PRN dose of lorazepam should not be the first action without addressing the underlying cause of restlessness.

5. When admitting a client diagnosed with active tuberculosis to isolation, which infection control measures should the nurse implement?

• A. Negative pressure environment
• B. Contact precautions
• C. Droplet precautions
• D. Protective environment

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Negative pressure environment. Tuberculosis is transmitted through airborne particles, so a negative pressure room is essential to prevent the spread of the bacteria. Choice B, contact precautions, are used for infections spread by direct or indirect contact, not for tuberculosis. Choice C, droplet precautions, are for infections transmitted through respiratory droplets, not airborne particles like tuberculosis. Choice D, protective environment, is used for protecting immunocompromised patients from outside pathogens, not for preventing the spread of tuberculosis.

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