NCLEX NCLEX-RN
NCLEX RN Exam Questions
1. To palpate the liver during a head-to-toe physical assessment, the nurse should
- A. put pressure on the biopsy site using a sandbag
- B. elevate the head of the bed to facilitate breathing
- C. place the patient on the right side with the bed flat
- D. check the patient's post-biopsy coagulation studies
Correct answer: place the patient on the right side with the bed flat
Rationale: To palpate the liver effectively during a head-to-toe physical assessment, the patient should be positioned on the right side with the bed flat. This position helps to splint the biopsy site and allows for proper palpation of the liver. Elevating the head of the bed has no direct relevance to palpating the liver. Checking coagulation studies is done before the biopsy and is unrelated to palpation. Putting pressure on the biopsy site using a sandbag is not an appropriate way to facilitate liver palpation as it does not provide the necessary support and stabilization needed for the procedure.
2. What should the nurse anticipate or expect of an American Indian woman seeking help to regulate her diabetes?
- A. Will comply with the treatment prescribed.
- B. Has given up her belief in naturalistic causes of disease.
- C. May also be seeking the assistance of a shaman or medicine man.
- D. Will need extra help in dealing with her illness and may be experiencing a crisis of faith.
Correct answer: May also be seeking the assistance of a shaman or medicine man.
Rationale: When caring for an American Indian patient seeking help for diabetes, the nurse should anticipate that the patient may also seek the assistance of a shaman or medicine man in addition to biomedical treatment. This cultural practice is common among American Indians who believe in holistic healing involving body, mind, and spirit. It is important for the nurse to acknowledge and respect these cultural beliefs and practices. Choice A is incorrect because patients from different cultures may not always comply with prescribed treatments due to various factors, including cultural beliefs. Choice B is incorrect as patients seeking traditional healing methods do not necessarily give up their beliefs in naturalistic causes of disease; instead, they often complement biomedical care. Choice D is incorrect as assuming the patient is experiencing a crisis of faith is not appropriate; it is more about respecting and understanding the patient's cultural background and beliefs.
3. The nurse notes that a patient has incisional pain, a poor cough effort, and scattered rhonchi after a thoracotomy. Which action should the nurse take first?
- A. Assist the patient to sit upright in a chair.
- B. Splint the patient's chest during coughing.
- C. Medicate the patient with prescribed morphine.
- D. Observe the patient use the incentive spirometer.
Correct answer: Medicate the patient with prescribed morphine.
Rationale: The correct answer is to medicate the patient with prescribed morphine. A major reason for atelectasis and poor airway clearance in patients after chest surgery is incisional pain, which can worsen with deep breathing and coughing. The priority is to address the incisional pain to facilitate effective coughing and deep breathing, which are essential for clearing the airways and preventing complications. Assisting the patient to sit upright, splinting the patient's chest during coughing, and observing the patient using the incentive spirometer are all appropriate interventions to improve airway clearance, but they should be implemented after addressing the incisional pain with medication.
4. The major difference between a grand mal and petit mal seizure is that a person with a grand mal seizure will have _______________ and the person with a petit mal seizure will not.
- A. convulsive movements
- B. sleep apnea
- C. atonic movements
- D. flaccidity
Correct answer: convulsive movements
Rationale: The major difference between a grand mal and petit mal seizure is the presence or absence of convulsive movements. Grand mal seizures are characterized by convulsive movements, including jerking of limbs and loss of consciousness. In contrast, petit mal seizures, also known as absence seizures, typically involve brief episodes of staring or eye blinking without convulsive movements. Therefore, choice A, 'convulsive movements,' is the correct answer. Choices B, 'sleep apnea,' and D, 'flaccidity,' are incorrect as they are not associated with the characteristics of grand mal or petit mal seizures. Choice C, 'atonic movements,' is also incorrect as petit mal seizures do not involve atonic movements, but rather absence behaviors such as staring spells.
5. The nurse monitors a patient after chest tube placement for a hemopneumothorax. The nurse is most concerned if which assessment finding is observed?
- A. A large air leak in the water-seal chamber
- B. 400 mL of blood in the collection chamber
- C. Complaint of pain with each deep inspiration
- D. Subcutaneous emphysema at the insertion site
Correct answer: 400 mL of blood in the collection chamber
Rationale: The nurse should be most concerned if 400 mL of blood is observed in the collection chamber as it may indicate the patient is at risk of developing hypovolemic shock. A large air leak in the water-seal chamber is expected initially after chest tube placement for a pneumothorax. While pain with deep inspiration should be treated, it is not as urgent as the risk of continued hemorrhage. Subcutaneous emphysema is not uncommon in a patient with pneumothorax and is usually harmless. However, a large amount of blood in the collection chamber is a more critical finding that requires immediate attention to prevent potential complications.
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