Nursing Elites

1. What precaution should be advised to patients following cataract surgery?

• A. Wear dark glasses while outdoors
• B. Use warm compresses
• C. Avoid NSAIDs
• D. Avoid bright lights

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Patients who have undergone cataract surgery should wear dark glasses when outdoors to shield their eyes from light exposure, which can be uncomfortable or harmful during the recovery period. Using warm compresses (choice B) is not typically recommended after cataract surgery as it's more relevant for certain eye conditions. Avoiding NSAIDs (choice C) is advised to prevent bleeding complications, but it is not directly related to eye protection post-surgery. While avoiding bright lights (choice D) is crucial, wearing dark glasses provides a practical solution to achieve this, making choice A the most appropriate precaution.

2. What is the priority nursing intervention for a patient admitted with possible acute coronary syndrome?

• A. Administer sublingual nitroglycerin
• B. Obtain cardiac enzymes
• C. Get IV access
• D. Auscultate heart sounds

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is to administer sublingual nitroglycerin. This intervention is a priority for a patient with possible acute coronary syndrome because nitroglycerin helps vasodilate coronary arteries, increase blood flow to the heart muscle, relieve chest pain, and reduce cardiac workload. Obtaining cardiac enzymes (choice B) is important for diagnosing myocardial infarction but is not the initial priority. Getting IV access (choice C) is essential for medication administration and fluid resuscitation but is not the priority over administering nitroglycerin. Auscultating heart sounds (choice D) is a routine assessment but does not address the immediate need to relieve chest pain and improve blood flow to the heart in acute coronary syndrome.

3. A nurse in an emergency department is caring for a client who has sustained multiple injuries. The nurse observes the client's thorax moving inward during inspiration and outward during expiration. The nurse should suspect which of the following injuries?

• A. Flail chest
• B. Hemothorax
• C. Pulmonary contusion
• D. Pneumothorax

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Flail chest. Flail chest results from multiple rib fractures, causing paradoxical chest movement where the injured part moves inward during inspiration and outward during expiration, interfering with ventilation. Choice B, Hemothorax, involves blood in the pleural cavity and does not typically cause paradoxical chest movement. Choice C, Pulmonary contusion, is a bruise to the lung tissue and does not present with paradoxical chest movement. Choice D, Pneumothorax, is the presence of air in the pleural space, leading to lung collapse, but it does not demonstrate paradoxical chest movement like in flail chest.

4. What is an escharotomy and when is it performed?

• A. A surgical incision to release pressure in burn injuries
• B. A procedure to remove dead tissue from wounds
• C. An incision to improve circulation in tight skin after burns
• D. A procedure to remove excess fluid from the chest

Correct answer: A

Rationale: An escharotomy is a surgical incision made to release pressure in a part of the body that has a deep burn and excessive swelling. This procedure is crucial in preventing further damage due to restricted blood flow and compromised circulation. Choice B is incorrect because it describes debridement, which is the removal of dead tissue from wounds. Choice C is incorrect as it does not specifically address the purpose of relieving pressure in burn injuries. Choice D is incorrect as it describes a procedure more related to thoracentesis, which is the removal of excess fluid from the chest, typically the pleural space.

5. What are the expected ECG changes in hypokalemia?

• A. Flattened T waves
• B. ST elevation
• C. Wide QRS complex
• D. Tall T waves

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Flattened T waves are the most common ECG change seen in patients with hypokalemia. Hypokalemia leads to a decrease in serum potassium levels, affecting the repolarization phase of the cardiac action potential. This results in T wave flattening or inversion. ST elevation is typically seen in conditions like myocardial infarction, not in hypokalemia. Wide QRS complex is more associated with hyperkalemia than hypokalemia. Tall T waves are often seen in hyperkalemia, not hypokalemia.

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