Nursing Elites

1. Efforts by healthcare facilities to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) include an awareness of which of the following?

• A. The CDC requires all states to report HAI rates from each hospital.
• B. Ensure that the restraints are tied to the side rails.
• C. The gastrointestinal tract is a common site for HAIs.
• D. Joint Commission considers death or serious injury from HAIs a sentinel event.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Efforts to reduce hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) involve being aware that the Joint Commission considers death or serious injury resulting from HAIs a sentinel event, which must be reported. While more than 20 states require reporting of HAI rates to the CDC, it is not a nationwide CDC requirement. The gastrointestinal tract is not a specific common site for HAIs; rather, bacteria are the primary cause. Ensuring restraints are properly secured is important for patient safety but not directly related to reducing HAIs.

2. When percussing over the abdomen of an obese patient, the nurse is unable to identify any changes in sound. What would the nurse do next?

• A. Ask the patient to take deep breaths to relax the abdominal musculature.
• B. Consider this finding as normal and proceed with the abdominal assessment.
• C. Increase the amount of strength used when attempting to percuss over the abdomen.
• D. Decrease the amount of strength used when attempting to percuss over the abdomen.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When percussing an obese patient's abdomen, the thickness of their body wall can affect the sound produced. A stronger percussion stroke is needed for obese or very muscular patients. The force of the blow determines the loudness of the note. Asking the patient to take deep breaths, considering the finding as normal, or decreasing the strength used are not appropriate actions in this scenario.

3. After receiving change-of-shift report, which patient should the nurse assess first?

• A. A patient with pneumonia who has crackles in the right lung base
• B. A patient with possible lung cancer who has just returned after bronchoscopy
• C. A patient with hemoptysis and a 16-mm induration with tuberculin skin testing
• D. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary function testing (PFT) that indicates low forced vital capacity

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is the patient with possible lung cancer who has just returned after bronchoscopy. After bronchoscopy, the patient may have decreased cough and gag reflexes, necessitating immediate assessment for airway patency to prevent potential complications. The other patients do not exhibit urgent clinical manifestations or have undergone recent procedures that require immediate attention. Therefore, they can be assessed after ensuring the safety and stability of the patient who has just returned after bronchoscopy.

4. Your patient who had AIDS/HIV has just died. Should you still use standard precautions as you provide post-mortem care?

• A. Yes, because the virus is still transmissible
• B. Yes, because respect must still be maintained
• C. No, because the virus is no longer transmissible
• D. No, because it is disrespectful

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Yes, you should still use standard precautions even after an HIV/AIDS patient has died. The virus can remain infectious after death, and healthcare workers need to protect themselves from potential exposure. Choice B is incorrect because while respect is important, the primary reason for using standard precautions is to prevent transmission of infectious diseases. Choice C is incorrect as the virus can still be transmissible even after the patient's death. Choice D is incorrect as using standard precautions is a matter of infection control, not a question of respect.

5. Which of the following descriptors is most appropriate to use when stating the 'problem' part of a nursing diagnosis?

• A. Grimacing
• B. Anxiety
• C. Oxygenation saturation 93%
• D. Output 500 mL in 8 hours

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The problem part of a nursing diagnosis in the context of nursing care plans should focus on the client's response to a life process, event, or stressor. This response is what is used to identify the nursing diagnosis. 'Anxiety' is the most appropriate descriptor for the problem part of a nursing diagnosis as it reflects a psychological response that can be addressed by nursing interventions. 'Grimacing' is a physical manifestation and not the problem itself. 'Oxygenation saturation 93%' and 'Output 500 mL in 8 hours' are data points or cues that a nurse would use to formulate the nursing diagnostic statement, not the actual problem being addressed.

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