Nursing Elites

1. The caregiver is teaching a parent of a young child with a newly diagnosed seizure disorder. The child is prescribed valproic acid (Depakote) for control of seizures. Which parental statement indicates the need for further education?

• A. I will not use carbonated beverages to dilute his medication.
• B. I will give his medication with food to minimize gastrointestinal upset.
• C. I will not let him chew his tablet.
• D. I will bring him to the physician's office for regular blood work to check his blood levels.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Valproic acid should be administered with food to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal upset. Giving it on an empty stomach may increase the likelihood of adverse effects. The other statements are correct: A - Carbonated beverages should not be used to dilute the medication, C - The tablet should not be chewed, and D - Regular blood work is necessary to monitor valproic acid levels and potential side effects.

2. The patient with bipolar disorder is being treated with lithium and has a new prescription for captopril for hypertension. The combination of these two drugs makes which assessment particularly important?

• A. Potassium level
• B. Lithium level
• C. Creatinine level
• D. Blood pressure

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When captopril, an ACE inhibitor, is combined with lithium, it can lead to lithium accumulation. Therefore, monitoring lithium levels is crucial to prevent toxicity. While ACE inhibitors like captopril can cause hyperkalemia, renal insufficiency, and hypotension, the risk of these effects is not increased by the combination of lithium and captopril.

3. Which standardized test would be most appropriate for assessing the motor development of a 2-month-old infant in a high-risk clinic?

• A. Peabody Developmental Motor Scale (PDMS-2)
• B. Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency (BOT-2)
• C. Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Index (PEDI)
• D. School Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (School-AMPS)

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The Peabody Developmental Motor Scale (PDMS-2) is specifically designed to assess the motor development of infants and young children, making it the most appropriate choice for evaluating a 2-month-old infant in a high-risk clinic setting.

4. A nurse administers naloxone (Narcan) to a post-op patient experiencing respiratory sedation. What undesirable effect would the nurse anticipate after giving this medication?

• A. Drowsiness
• B. Tics and tremors
• C. Increased Pain
• D. Nausea and vomiting

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Naloxone reverses the effects of narcotics. Although the patient’s respiratory status will improve after administration of naloxone, the pain will be more acute.

5. A healthcare professional is preparing to collect a sample from a toddler for a sickle turbidity test. Which of the following actions should the healthcare professional plan to take?

• A. Obtain a sputum specimen
• B. Perform an Allen test
• C. Perform a finger stick
• D. Obtain a stool specimen

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The healthcare professional should perform a finger stick on a toddler as a component of the sickle turbidity test. If the test is positive, hemoglobin electrophoresis is required to distinguish between children who have the genetic trait and children who have the disease. Finger stick is a common method used to collect blood samples, especially in pediatric patients, for various tests.

Similar Questions