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A client who underwent a left lower lobectomy has been out of surgery for 48 hours. She is receiving morphine sulfate via a patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) system. She tells the nurse that she has some pain in her left thorax that worsens when she coughs. The nurse should:
- A. I don't be silent, so that she is not stimulated to cough.
- B. Encourage the client to take deep breaths to help control the pain.
- C. Check that the PCA device is functioning properly, and then reassure the client that the machine is working and will relieve her pain.
- D. Obtain a more detailed assessment of the client's pain using a pain scale.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: A detailed pain assessment using a scale clarifies the pain's severity and guides adjustments to analgesia. Silencing the client or encouraging deep breaths may worsen pain. Checking the PCA is appropriate but secondary to assessment.
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The nurse is administering a saturated solution of potassium iodide (SSKI). The nurse should:
- A. Pour the solution over ice chips.
- B. Mix the solution with an antacid.
- C. Dilute the solution with water, milk, or fruit juice and have the client drink it with a straw.
- D. Disguise the solution in a pureed fruit or vegetable.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: SSKI has an unpleasant taste and can stain teeth. Diluting it with water, milk, or juice and using a straw minimizes discomfort and staining.
During the previous few months, a 56-year-old woman felt brief twinges of chest pain while working in her garden and has had frequent episodes of indigestion. She comes to the hospital after experiencing severe anterior chest pain while raking leaves. Her evaluation confirms a diagnosis of stable angina pectoris. After stabilization and treatment, the client is discharged from the hospital. At her follow-up appointment, she is discouraged because she is experiencing pain with increasing frequency. She states that she visits an invalid friend twice a week and now cannot walk up the second flight of steps to the friend's apartment without pain. Which of the following measures that the nurse could suggest would most likely help the client prevent this problem?
- A. Visit her friend early in the day.
- B. Rest for at least an hour before climbing the stairs.
- C. Take a nitroglycerin tablet before climbing the stairs.
- D. Lie down once she reaches the friend's apartment.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Taking sublingual nitroglycerin before exertion (e.g., climbing stairs) prevents angina by dilating coronary arteries, increasing myocardial oxygen supply.
The nurse is instructing the client about postsurgery activity following cataract surgery. What position should the nurse teach the client to use?
- A. Remain in a semi-Fowler's position.
- B. Position the feet higher than the body.
- C. Lie on the operative side.
- D. Place the head in a dependent position.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A semi-Fowler's position (head elevated 30-45 degrees) helps reduce intraocular pressure and swelling by promoting drainage and preventing fluid accumulation in the surgical eye.
A 17-year-old, sexually active female client is seen in the family planning clinic and requests hormonal contraceptives. Before examination, the nurse should explain the importance of regular Papanicolaou (Pap) smears. This recommendation is based on the current screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society for Pap smears, which state that:
- A. Pap smears are recommended every other year.
- B. If four consecutive annual Pap smears are negative, the client should schedule repeat Pap smears every 3 years.
- C. The initial Pap smear should be done at age 12.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: American Cancer Society guidelines recommend Pap smears every 3 years after four consecutive normal annual smears for women who are sexually active or over 21. Screening does not start at age 12, and every-other-year screening is not standard.
A client on hemodialysis reports fatigue. The nurse should assess for:
- A. Anemia.
- B. Hyperkalemia.
- C. Dehydration.
- D. Infection.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Anemia is common in renal failure due to decreased erythropoietin.