Nursing Elites

1. Which of the following patients should the home care nurse assess first?

• A. A 65-year-old male with known COPD and difficulty breathing after climbing a flight of stairs.
• B. A 78-year-old with CHF who has gained 4 lbs according to her tele-monitoring.
• C. A 50-year-old with bilateral leg swelling and difficulty walking.
• D. A 60-year-old with lower back pain.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A. A patient with known COPD and difficulty breathing after physical exertion like climbing stairs requires immediate assessment by the nurse. This could indicate a potential exacerbation of COPD, which needs prompt intervention to prevent respiratory distress. Choices B, C, and D describe important patient situations that also require attention, but the urgency is higher with a COPD patient experiencing difficulty breathing.

2. During a visit to the community health clinic, a 45-year-old Native American female, who has a BMI of 35, complains of changes in her vision. Which condition is most important for the RN to be aware of in the client's family history?

• A. Diabetes
• B. Glaucoma
• C. Hypertension
• D. Brain Tumor

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Diabetes. Given the client's Native American ethnicity, high BMI, and vision changes, diabetes is the most crucial condition for the nurse to be aware of in the client's family history. Diabetes is strongly associated with vision problems, especially diabetic retinopathy. Glaucoma (choice B) is a condition that affects the optic nerve and can lead to vision loss but is not as directly linked to the client's BMI and ethnic background. Hypertension (choice C) can also impact vision, but in this case, diabetes takes precedence based on the client's profile. Brain tumor (choice D) is less likely to be related to the client's BMI, ethnicity, and vision changes compared to diabetes.

3. The nurse is caring for a client with status epilepticus. The most important nursing assessment of this client is

• A. Intravenous fluid infusion
• B. Level of consciousness
• C. Pulse and respirations
• D. Extremities for injuries

Correct answer: B

Rationale: In status epilepticus, the most crucial nursing assessment is the level of consciousness. Assessing the client's level of consciousness is vital as prolonged seizures can result in hypoxia, brain damage, and require immediate intervention. Pulse and respirations (choice C) are important assessments, but in status epilepticus, the priority is to monitor the client's neurological status. Checking intravenous fluid infusion (choice A) and extremities for injuries (choice D) are not the primary assessments needed in managing a client experiencing status epilepticus.

4. At a routine health assessment, a client tells the nurse that she is planning a pregnancy in the near future. She asks about preconception diet changes. Which of the statements made by the nurse is best?

• A. Include fibers in your daily diet.
• B. Increase green leafy vegetable intake.
• C. Drink a glass of milk with each meal.
• D. Eat at least 1 serving of fish weekly.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: "Increase green leafy vegetable intake." This is the best advice because green leafy vegetables are rich in folic acid, which is essential for fetal development and helps prevent neural tube defects. Choice A is not specific enough and does not address the importance of folic acid. Choice C, drinking milk with each meal, does not provide the necessary folic acid intake. Choice D, eating fish weekly, is not as crucial for preconception diet changes as increasing folic acid intake.

5. Mark, 9 months old, is given oral rehydration solution because of diarrhea with some dehydration. In your follow-up visit, you observed that Mark's eyes become puffy. Which one of the following would you advise Mark's mother?

• A. continue giving ORS but more slowly
• B. show mother how much solution to give
• C. stop ORS and give plain water or milk
• D. reassess patient to determine how much ORS to give

Correct answer: A

Rationale: In this scenario, observing puffy eyes in a child being treated with oral rehydration solution may indicate fluid overload. Continuing to give ORS but more slowly is the correct course of action as it helps manage hydration without overloading fluids. Choice B is not the best option in this situation as the issue is not about the quantity of the solution, but the rate of administration. Choice C is incorrect because plain water or milk is not a suitable alternative for rehydration in cases of dehydration. Choice D is also incorrect as reassessing the patient does not directly address the issue of puffy eyes, which suggests a need to adjust the administration of ORS.

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