NCLEX NCLEX-PN
Kaplan NCLEX Question of The Day
1. Which is an example of a sentinel event?
- A. The terminally ill client is referred to hospice and dies 3 months later.
- B. A client receives an unordered mammogram which reveals a small cyst.
- C. A client with a laceration to the knee requiring 4 sutures falls when getting up unassisted after being instructed to remain in bed.
- D. A client scheduled for knee replacement surgery had an above-the-knee amputation performed.
Correct answer: A client scheduled for knee replacement surgery had an above-the-knee amputation performed.
Rationale: Yes! A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence causing death or serious injury. In this case, a client who was scheduled for knee replacement surgery but had an above-the-knee amputation performed instead represents a sentinel event as it resulted in serious harm that was not intended. The other choices do not meet the criteria for a sentinel event. Choice A describes a natural progression for a terminally ill client, choice B shows an incidental finding from a test, and choice C involves a preventable fall leading to an injury but not a sentinel event.
2. A laboring client is experiencing late decelerations. Which position should she be placed in?
- A. left lateral
- B. lithotomy
- C. semi-Fowler’s
- D. right lateral
Correct answer: left lateral
Rationale: The correct answer is the left lateral position. Placing the laboring client in the left lateral position is beneficial because it promotes blood flow to the placenta. Late decelerations indicate potential issues with fetal oxygenation, and changing the position to left lateral can help improve placental perfusion. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because lithotomy, semi-Fowler’s, and right lateral positions do not specifically address the need for improved blood flow to the placenta in cases of late decelerations.
3. A client with a closed chest tube drainage system accidentally disconnects the chest tube while being turned by the nurse. What should the nurse do first?
- A. Submerge the end of the chest tube in a bottle of sterile water
- B. Clamp the chest tube with a Kelly clamp
- C. Call the health care provider
- D. Instruct the client to inhale and hold his breath
Correct answer: Submerge the end of the chest tube in a bottle of sterile water
Rationale: When a chest tube becomes disconnected, the priority action is to immediately reattach it to the drainage system or submerge the end in a bottle of sterile water or saline solution to reestablish a water seal. This helps prevent air from entering the pleural space and causing complications. Calling the health care provider is important but not the first action in this emergency. Instructing the client to inhale and hold his breath should be avoided as it can introduce atmospheric air into the pleural space, leading to potential issues. Clamping the chest tube is generally contraindicated, especially in cases of residual air leak or pneumothorax, as it may result in a tension pneumothorax by preventing air from escaping.
4. In the United States, several definitions of death are currently being used. The definition that uses apnea testing and pupillary responses to light is termed:
- A. whole brain death.
- B. heart-lung death.
- C. circulatory death.
- D. higher brain death.
Correct answer: whole brain death.
Rationale: The correct answer is 'whole brain death.' Most protocols for determining whole brain death require two separate clinical examinations, including the induction of painful stimuli, pupillary responses to light, oculovestibular testing, and apnea testing. This comprehensive approach ensures that all functions of the brain, including the brainstem, are evaluated to confirm the absence of brain function. Choices B and D are incorrect as they do not reflect the specific tests required for determining whole brain death. Choice C, 'circulatory death,' does not involve the evaluation of brain function and is not a current definition of death in the United States.
5. A client goes to the Emergency Department with acute respiratory distress and the following arterial blood gases (ABGs): pH 7.35, PCO2 40 mmHg, PO2 63 mmHg, HCO3 23, and oxygenation saturation (SaO2) 93%. Which of the following represents the best analysis of the etiology of these ABGs?
- A. tuberculosis (TB)
- B. pneumonia
- C. pleural effusion
- D. hypoxia
Correct answer: hypoxia
Rationale: A combined low PO2 and low SaO2 indicate hypoxia. The pH, PCO2, and HCO3 are normal. ABGs are not necessarily altered in TB or pleural effusion. In pneumonia, the PO2 and PCO2 might be low due to hypoxia stimulating hyperventilation, but the given ABG values specifically point to hypoxia as the primary issue.
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