Nursing Elites

1. The nurse is assessing a client with chronic liver disease. Which lab value is most concerning?

• A. Elevated AST and ALT levels
• B. Decreased albumin level
• C. Elevated bilirubin level
• D. Prolonged PT/INR

Correct answer: D

Rationale: In a client with chronic liver disease, a prolonged PT/INR is the most concerning lab value. This finding indicates impaired liver function affecting the synthesis of clotting factors, leading to an increased risk of bleeding. Elevated AST and ALT levels (Choice A) indicate liver cell damage but do not directly correlate with the risk of bleeding. A decreased albumin level (Choice B) is common in liver disease but is not the most concerning in terms of bleeding risk. Elevated bilirubin levels (Choice C) are seen in liver disease but do not directly reflect the risk of bleeding as PT/INR values do.

2. 4 hours after administration of 20U of regular insulin, the client becomes shaky and diaphoretic. What action should the nurse take?

• A. Encourage the client to eat crackers and milk
• B. Administer a PRN dose of 10U of regular insulin
• C. Give the client crackers and milk
• D. Record the client's reaction in the diabetic flow sheet

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take when a client becomes shaky and diaphoretic after insulin administration, indicating hypoglycemia, is to provide the client with carbohydrates like crackers and milk. Carbohydrates help raise blood glucose levels quickly. Encouraging the client to eat crackers and milk (Choice A) is the appropriate immediate action to address the hypoglycemia. Administering more insulin (Choice B) would worsen hypoglycemia, and recording the reaction (Choice D) is important but not the immediate action needed to treat the hypoglycemia.

3. A client is admitted with a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Which laboratory finding is most indicative of this condition?

• A. Serum glucose of 180 mg/dL
• B. Blood pH of 7.30
• C. Positive urine ketones
• D. Serum bicarbonate of 25 mEq/L

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Positive urine ketones. In diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), the body breaks down fat for energy due to a lack of insulin, leading to ketone production. Positive urine ketones are a hallmark laboratory finding in DKA as they directly reflect the presence of ketosis. Choice A, serum glucose of 180 mg/dL, may be elevated in DKA, but it is not specific to this condition. Choice B, blood pH of 7.30, often shows acidosis in DKA, but urine ketones are more specific to the presence of ketosis. Choice D, serum bicarbonate of 25 mEq/L, would typically be low in DKA due to acidosis rather than elevated.

4. What is the homeostatic cellular transport mechanism that moves water from a hypotonic to a hypertonic fluid space?

• A. Filtration
• B. Diffusion
• C. Osmosis
• D. Active transport

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Osmosis. Osmosis is the homeostatic cellular transport mechanism that moves water from a hypotonic to a hypertonic fluid space to maintain cellular balance. In osmosis, water moves across a semi-permeable membrane from an area of low solute concentration (hypotonic) to an area of high solute concentration (hypertonic). This process helps regulate the water content inside cells. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. Filtration involves the movement of solutes and solvents through a membrane due to a pressure difference, diffusion is the movement of solutes from an area of high concentration to low concentration, and active transport requires energy to move substances against their concentration gradient.

5. The nurse observes that a post-operative client's surgical wound has reddened edges and is oozing. What is the appropriate nursing action?

• A. Apply an antibiotic ointment
• B. Clean the wound with sterile saline
• C. Cover the wound with a sterile dressing
• D. Notify the surgeon immediately

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct action when a post-operative client's surgical wound has reddened edges and is oozing is to notify the surgeon immediately. Reddened, oozing wound edges can indicate an infection that requires prompt evaluation and intervention by the surgical team. Applying an antibiotic ointment (Choice A) without proper assessment and guidance can be inappropriate. Cleaning the wound with sterile saline (Choice B) and covering it with a sterile dressing (Choice C) may not address the potential infection adequately, and the client may require more specialized care that the surgeon can provide.

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