Nursing Elites

1. When a father asks why his child with tetralogy of Fallot seems to favor a squatting position, the nurse would explain that squatting:

• A. Increases peripheral vascular resistance
• B. Decreases arterial blood flow away from the heart
• C. It's a common resting position when a child is tachycardic
• D. Increases the workload of the heart

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Squatting increases systemic vascular resistance, which leads to a reduction in the right-to-left shunting of blood in children with tetralogy of Fallot. This helps improve oxygenation by balancing the pulmonary and systemic blood flow. The squatting position decreases the pressure in the right ventricle and reduces the magnitude of the right-to-left shunt by increasing afterload, thereby improving oxygenation. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because squatting does not decrease arterial blood flow away from the heart, is not related to being tachycardic, and does not increase the workload of the heart.

2. You are treating a 5-year-old child who has had severe diarrhea and vomiting for 3 days and is now showing signs of shock. Supplemental oxygen has been given, and you have elevated his lower extremities. En route to the hospital, you note that his work of breathing has increased. You should:

• A. begin positive-pressure ventilations and reassess the child.
• B. lower the extremities and reassess the child.
• C. listen to the lungs with a stethoscope for abnormal breath sounds.
• D. insert a nasopharyngeal airway and increase the oxygen flow.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When the work of breathing increases after elevating the legs, it is important to lower the extremities. Elevating the lower extremities in a child with signs of shock can worsen the condition by reducing venous return to the heart. Lowering the extremities can help improve venous return and potentially alleviate the increased work of breathing.

3. A new mother is learning to breastfeed her newborn. Which position is recommended for a mother recovering from a cesarean section?

• A. Cradle hold
• B. Football hold
• C. Side-lying position
• D. Cross-cradle hold

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The football hold is recommended for mothers recovering from a cesarean section because it positions the baby higher up and away from the incision site, avoiding pressure on the abdomen. This hold also provides better support for the baby's head and neck, making it a more comfortable position for both the mother and the newborn.

4. The student nurse has performed a gestational age assessment of an infant and finds the infant to be at 32 weeks. On which set of characteristics is the nurse basing this assessment?

• A. Lanugo mostly gone, little vernix remaining on the body
• B. Prominent clitoris, enlarging labia minora, patent anus
• C. Full areola, 5 to 10 mm nipple bud, pinkish-brown areola
• D. Skin opaque, cracking at wrists and ankles, no visible vessels

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. At 30 to 32 weeks' gestation, the clitoris is prominent, and the labia minora are enlarging. The labia majora are small and widely separated. As gestational age increases, the labia majora increase in size. At 36 to 40 weeks, they almost cover the clitoris. At 40 weeks and beyond, the labia majora cover the labia minora and clitoris. Choices A, C, and D do not align with the characteristic features seen at 32 weeks of gestation, making them incorrect.

5. How would you classify a child at two years of age who has fast breathing without chest indrawing or stridor when calm?

• A. Very severe disease
• B. Pneumonia
• C. No pneumonia
• D. Local infection

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In pediatric clinical assessment, a child at two years of age with fast breathing but without chest indrawing or stridor when calm is classified as having pneumonia. Fast breathing in this context is a key symptom used in the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines to diagnose pneumonia in children under five years old. The absence of chest indrawing or stridor when the child is calm helps differentiate this case from other respiratory conditions, making pneumonia the likely classification. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. 'Very severe disease' is too broad and not specific to the symptoms described. 'No pneumonia' is also incorrect as the symptoms match the presentation of pneumonia. 'Local infection' is too vague and does not specifically address the respiratory symptoms observed.

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