Nursing Elites

1. The healthcare provider is providing postoperative care to a 7-year-old child who had surgery for appendicitis. The child is experiencing pain at the surgical site. What is the healthcare provider's priority action?

• A. Administer the prescribed pain medication
• B. Encourage the child to take deep breaths
• C. Apply a warm compress to the surgical site
• D. Reposition the child to a more comfortable position

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Administering the prescribed pain medication is crucial to effectively manage the child's postoperative pain. Pain management is a priority to ensure the child's comfort and promote healing following surgery. Encouraging deep breaths, applying warm compresses, or repositioning the child may help, but addressing the pain with medication is the initial and most vital intervention.

2. What action should the nurse implement after the infusion is complete for a 16-year-old with acute myelocytic leukemia receiving chemotherapy via an implanted medication port at the outpatient oncology clinic?

• A. Administer Zofran
• B. Obtain blood samples for RBCs, WBCs, and platelets
• C. Flush the mediport with saline and heparin solution
• D. Initiate an infusion of normal saline

Correct answer: C

Rationale: After completing the chemotherapy infusion via the implanted medication port, the nurse should flush the mediport with saline and heparin solution. This action helps prevent clot formation in the port, ensuring its patency for future use and reducing the risk of complications associated with catheter occlusion. Administering Zofran (Choice A) is used for managing chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, not for post-infusion care. Obtaining blood samples for RBCs, WBCs, and platelets (Choice B) is important for monitoring the patient's blood count but is not the immediate post-infusion priority. Initiating an infusion of normal saline (Choice D) is not necessary after completing the chemotherapy infusion.

3. A 7-year-old child with leukemia is receiving chemotherapy. The mother asks the practical nurse (PN) how to manage the child's nausea at home. What advice should the PN provide?

• A. Provide small, frequent meals.
• B. Encourage the child to eat spicy foods.
• C. Offer large meals less frequently.
• D. Allow the child to eat whatever they want.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: During chemotherapy, children may experience nausea. Providing small, frequent meals can help manage nausea as they are easier to tolerate, reducing the likelihood of vomiting. It is important to offer bland, non-spicy foods to avoid exacerbating nausea. Encouraging large meals less frequently or allowing the child to eat whatever they want may overwhelm the digestive system and worsen nausea. Therefore, the correct advice is to provide small, frequent meals to help the child manage nausea effectively.

4. A toddler with a chronic illness that requires frequent hospitalization is likely to experience which psychosocial developmental challenge?

• A. Fixation with feelings of inadequacy
• B. Interference with the development of autonomy
• C. Distortion of differentiation of self from parent
• D. Delayed language, fine-motor, and self-care skills

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Toddlers with chronic illnesses requiring frequent hospitalization may experience interference with the development of autonomy. This is because the need for constant medical care can restrict their independence and ability to explore and make choices, which are essential aspects of achieving autonomy according to Erikson's stages of psychosocial development. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. Fixation with feelings of inadequacy (Choice A) is more commonly associated with Erikson's stage of industry vs. inferiority in middle childhood. Distortion of differentiation of self from parent (Choice C) is related to the separation-individuation phase of Mahler's theory of object relations, typically occurring in infancy. Delayed language, fine-motor, and self-care skills (Choice D) may be impacted by chronic illness but are not the primary psychosocial developmental challenge faced by toddlers in this context.

5. A mother brings her 2-year-old son to the clinic because he has been crying and pulling on his earlobe for the past 12 hours. The child’s oral temperature is 101.2°F. Which intervention should the nurse implement?

• A. Ask the mother if the child has had a runny nose
• B. Cleanse purulent exudate from the affected ear canal
• C. Apply a topical antibiotic to the periauricle area
• D. Provide parent education to prevent recurrence

Correct answer: A

Rationale: In a child with ear pain and fever, asking about a runny nose is important to assess if the ear pain is associated with a respiratory infection, such as otitis media. This information can guide further assessment and treatment decisions. Choice B is incorrect because cleansing purulent exudate should be done by a healthcare provider, not the nurse. Choice C is incorrect as topical antibiotics should only be applied under healthcare provider's orders. Choice D is not the priority at this moment, as the immediate concern is assessing the association between the ear pain and a possible respiratory infection.

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