Nursing Elites

1. When teaching an elderly client how to prevent constipation, which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

• A. Drink 6 glasses of fluid each day.
• B. Avoid grain products and nuts.
• C. Add at least 4 grams of brain to your cereal each morning.
• D. Be sure to get regular exercise.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: To prevent constipation, elderly clients should be encouraged to get regular exercise, which promotes bowel motility.

2. You’re caring for Jane, a 57 y.o. patient with liver cirrhosis who develops ascites and requires paracentesis. Before her paracentesis, you instruct her to:

• A. Empty her bladder.
• B. Lie supine in bed.
• C. Remain NPO for 4 hours.
• D. Clean her bowels with an enema.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Before paracentesis, instruct the patient to empty her bladder to avoid bladder injury during the procedure.

3. If a client had irritable bowel syndrome, which of the following diagnostic tests would determine if the diagnosis is Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis?

• A. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan
• B. Abdominal x-ray
• C. Barium swallow
• D. Colonoscopy with biopsy

Correct answer: D

Rationale: A colonoscopy with biopsy is the most definitive diagnostic test to differentiate between Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

4. The nurse is irrigating a client's colostomy when she complains of abdominal cramping after receiving about 100 mL of the irrigating solution. What should the nurse's first response be in this situation?

• A. Stop the flow of solution temporarily.
• B. Reposition the client on to her right side.
• C. Remove the irrigation tube.
• D. Massage the abdomen gently.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The abdominal cramping that can occur during colostomy irrigation results from stimulation of the colon by the irrigating solution. The nurse's first response should be to temporarily stop the flow of solution to allow the cramping to subside. Repositioning the client to the right side will not alleviate the cramping. Removing the tube will not decrease the cramping and will necessitate reinsertion of the tube when the irrigation is resumed. Massaging the abdomen gently may be soothing to some clients, but it is not the nurse's first priority action.

5. You’re preparing a patient with a malignant tumor for colorectal surgery and subsequent colostomy. The patient tells you he’s anxious. What should your initial step be in working with this patient?

• A. Determine what the patient already knows about colostomies.
• B. Show the patient some pictures of colostomies.
• C. Arrange for someone who has a colostomy to visit the patient.
• D. Provide the patient with written material about colostomy care.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: When a patient with a malignant tumor is anxious about colorectal surgery and a colostomy, the initial step is to determine what the patient already knows about colostomies.

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