what is the best way to manage a patients pain postoperatively
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Nursing Elites

ATI RN

ATI RN Comprehensive Exit Exam 2023

1. What is the best way to manage a patient's pain postoperatively?

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Administer analgesics regularly. Postoperative pain management often requires a scheduled, around-the-clock administration of analgesics to maintain a consistent level of pain relief and minimize the risk of breakthrough pain. Choice B, administering pain medication PRN (as needed), may lead to inadequate pain control as the medication is not given preemptively. Choice C, encouraging deep breathing exercises, can be beneficial for pain management but should be used as an adjunct to analgesic therapy. Choice D, providing distraction techniques, may help some patients cope with pain but should not be the primary method of pain management postoperatively.

2. A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving a blood transfusion. Which of the following findings is a priority for the nurse to report?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Tachycardia. Tachycardia can indicate a hemolytic transfusion reaction, a severe and life-threatening complication of blood transfusion. The nurse should report tachycardia immediately to prevent further complications. Low back pain, flushed skin, and headache are also important to monitor during a blood transfusion, but they are not as indicative of a severe transfusion reaction as tachycardia.

3. A nurse is providing teaching about newborn care to a group of parents. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: 'You should keep your newborn's head elevated while they sleep.' Keeping the newborn's head elevated while sleeping helps prevent conditions like sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Choice A is incorrect because newborns do not need to be bathed every day; it is recommended to bathe them 2-3 times a week. Choice B is incorrect as heavy blankets can increase the risk of suffocation for newborns. Choice C is incorrect as newborn stools are typically soft and yellow in color, not firm and light brown.

4. A nurse overhears two assistive personnel (AP) discussing a client in an elevator. What action should the nurse take?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take in this situation is to report the incident to the AP's charge nurse. This is important because discussing a client's information violates confidentiality policies. Contacting the client's family (Choice A) is not appropriate as it may breach confidentiality further. Notifying the client's provider (Choice B) is not the initial action to take in this situation, as addressing it within the facility should come first. Filing a complaint with the facility's ethics committee (Choice C) is not the immediate step and might not directly address the issue at hand.

5. A nurse is developing a care plan for a client who has paraplegia and has an area of nonblanchable erythema over the ischium. Which intervention should the nurse include?

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct intervention for a client with nonblanchable erythema over the ischium is to teach the client to shift his weight every 15 minutes while sitting. This action helps relieve pressure on the affected area and prevents further skin breakdown. Placing the client upright on a donut-shaped cushion (Choice A) may not address the need for frequent weight shifts. Turning and repositioning the client every 3 hours (Choice C) is important for overall skin health but may not provide adequate relief for the specific area of nonblanchable erythema. Assessing pressure points every 24 hours (Choice D) is not frequent enough to prevent worsening of the skin condition in this case.

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