Nursing Elites

1. You see a patient lying on the floor of the bathroom. You are NOT assigned to this patient. What is the first thing that you should do?

• A. Get the nurse who is caring for the patient.
• B. Tell the nurse that the patient has had another seizure.
• C. Observe the patient for any injuries and call out for help.
• D. Nothing. This patient is not one of your assignments.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct course of action in this situation is to observe the patient for any injuries and call out for help. It is crucial to act immediately in an emergency, regardless of whether the patient is under your care. Checking for injuries and seeking assistance can help ensure the patient receives prompt and appropriate care. Choosing to inform the nurse of a seizure without evidence or taking no action because the patient is not your assignment are not optimal responses. In a healthcare setting, patient safety and well-being should always be the top priority.

2. Which of the following statements best describes footdrop?

• A. The foot is permanently fixed in the dorsiflexion position
• B. The foot is permanently fixed in the plantar flexion position
• C. The toes of the foot are permanently fanned
• D. The heel of the foot is permanently rotated outward

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Footdrop results in the foot becoming permanently fixed in a plantar flexion position, not dorsiflexion. This position points the toes downward. The client may be unable to put weight on the foot, making ambulation difficult. Footdrop can be caused by immobility or chronic illnesses that cause muscle changes, such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease. Choice A is incorrect because footdrop leads to plantar flexion, not dorsiflexion. Choice C is incorrect as it describes a different condition known as 'toe fanning.' Choice D is incorrect as it describes an external rotation of the heel, which is not a characteristic of footdrop.

3. A child is admitted to the hospital several days after stepping on a sharp object that punctured her athletic shoe and entered the flesh of her foot. The physician is concerned about osteomyelitis and has ordered parenteral antibiotics. Which of the following actions is done immediately before the antibiotic is started?

• A. The admission orders are written.
• B. A blood culture is drawn.
• C. A complete blood count with differential is drawn.
• D. The parents arrive.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Before starting antibiotics, a blood culture should be drawn to identify the causative organism. This step is crucial as antibiotics may interfere with the identification process. Drawing a complete blood count with differential or writing admission orders are important steps in patient care but are not as critical as obtaining a blood culture to guide appropriate antibiotic therapy. The arrival of the parents is not directly related to the immediate action required before starting antibiotics in this scenario.

4. A client is complaining of pain in his right hand after surgery. The IV in his hand has slowed down, and the skin around the site is reddened and cool. The client reports localized pain in the hand and fingers. What is the most likely cause of this client's pain?

• A. The client's IV is infiltrated
• B. The client is experiencing phlebitis from the last drug administered
• C. The client has a blood clot developing in the distal arteries of the wrist
• D. The client's pain is associated with myocardial ischemia and he is having a heart attack

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Pain, cool skin, and edema at an IV injection site indicate IV infiltration. The reddened and cool skin around the IV site, along with localized pain and a slowed IV drip rate, are classic signs of infiltration. Infiltration occurs when IV fluids or medications enter the surrounding tissues instead of the vein, leading to potential tissue damage. Phlebitis is inflammation of a vein, not infiltration. A blood clot in the distal arteries of the wrist would not cause these specific symptoms. Myocardial ischemia and heart attack are unrelated to the client's localized hand pain and IV issues.

5. When considering the concepts related to blood pressure, which statement best describes the concept of mean arterial pressure (MAP)?

• A. MAP is the pressure of the arterial pulse.
• B. MAP reflects the stroke volume of the heart.
• C. MAP is the pressure forcing blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle.
• D. MAP is an average of the systolic and diastolic blood pressures and reflects tissue perfusion.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) is the pressure that forces blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle. It is not the pressure of the arterial pulse (Choice A), nor does it directly reflect the stroke volume of the heart (Choice B). While MAP involves systolic and diastolic pressures, it is not simply an average of these two values as diastole lasts longer. Instead, MAP is closer to diastolic pressure plus one third of the pulse pressure. The best description of MAP is that it represents the pressure forcing blood into the tissues, averaged over the cardiac cycle.

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