A 60-year-old widower is hospitalized after complaining of difficulty sleeping, extreme apprehension, shortness of breath, and a sense of impending doom. What is the best response by the nurse?
- A. You have nothing to worry about. You are in a safe place. Try to relax.'
- B. Has anything happened recently or in the past that might have triggered these feelings?'
- C. We have given you a medication that helps to decrease feelings of anxiety.'
- D. Take some deep breaths and try to calm down.'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Choice 2 provides support, reassurance, and an opportunity to gain insight into the cause of the anxiety. Choice 1 dismisses the client's feelings and offers false reassurance. Choices 3 and 4 do not allow the client to discuss his feelings, which he must do in order to understand and resolve the cause of his anxiety.
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A nurse is performing a screening on a patient that has been casted recently on the left lower extremity. Which of the following statements should the nurse be most concerned about?
- A. The patient reports, 'I didn't keep my extremity elevated like the doctor asked me to.'
- B. The patient reports, 'I have been having pain in my left calf.'
- C. The patient reports, 'My left leg has really been itching.'
- D. The patient reports, 'The arthritis in my wrists is flaring up, when I put weight on my crutches.'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pain may be indicating neurovascular complication.
A 12-year-old male is brought to his primary care provider to determine whether sexual abuse has occurred. The mother states, 'Because there is no permanent physical damage, he does not need any more treatment.' The nurse's response should be based on which of the following pieces of information?
- A. Male victims of sexual abuse seldom have long-term psychological problems.
- B. Survivors of male sexual abuse might become confused about their sexual identity.
- C. Unless treated, all male sex abuse survivors grow up to abuse other children.
- D. All children who have been sexually abused have the same needs, regardless of gender.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Male children are sexually abused nearly as often as female children. Perpetrators are usually men but can be women. Needs of male children who have been sexually abused might be different from the needs of female survivors. Male survivors might respond in anger, question their sexuality, use alcohol and other drugs, and might try to prove their masculinity by performing daring acts.
The nurse is assessing an elder who the nurse suspects is being physically abused. The most important question for nurse to ask is:
- A. How much money do you keep around the house?
- B. Who provides your physical care?
- C. How close does your nearest relative live?
- D. What form of transportation do you use?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The most common abuser is a caregiver living with the client. Research reveals that the spouse is currently the most common abuser, followed by an adult child.
After group therapy, the female victim of intimate partner violence confides to the nurse that she does not feel in any immediate danger. Which of the following statements about victims of domestic violence is true?
- A. Victims of domestic violence are often the best predictors of their risk of harm.
- B. Victims of domestic violence often overestimate their safety risk.
- C. Victims of domestic violence are typically in a state of denial.
- D. Victims of domestic violence know that keeping peace with their partner is the best method of preventing another attack.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Victims of domestic violence are often correct at predicting their risk of harm. However, the nurse should ensure that the client is expressing herself authentically and is not trying to convince the nurse that there is no immediate danger. Further, proper authorities, such as the police, should be alerted to this reportable offense.
A client with a diagnosis of Schizophrenia has been released from an acute care setting. The client had a prolonged recovery from relapse. One of the parents says to the discharge nurse, 'I do not understand what is going on. The hospital said she was better, but all she does is sit around all day and smoke. We cannot get her to go to the vocational training you arranged.' The nurse recognizes that more teaching is needed about:
- A. the pathophysiology and acting out behaviors of schizophrenia.
- B. support groups that can help the parents release their feelings of frustration.
- C. the prolonged recovery time and depressive effects of medicines to prevent relapse.
- D. motivational techniques that are effective in clients with schizophrenia.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The nurse conducting discharge teaching must stress the lengthy recuperation process with emphasis on the sedative qualities of the medication used to prevent relapse. Support groups are useful for caregivers. The emphasis during recuperation is on maintaining nutrition and hygiene.