A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is receiving supplemental oxygen. The client reports feeling short of breath and has a respiratory rate of 28 breaths per minute. What should the nurse do first?
- A. Increase the oxygen flow rate
- B. Notify the healthcare provider
- C. Administer a bronchodilator
- D. Elevate the head of the bed
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Elevating the head of the bed promotes lung expansion and improves oxygenation, making it the priority intervention for a client with shortness of breath. This position helps in maximizing lung expansion and aiding ventilation-perfusion matching in patients with COPD. Increasing the oxygen flow rate may be necessary but should come after optimizing the client's positioning. Notifying the healthcare provider and administering a bronchodilator are not the initial interventions for addressing shortness of breath in a client with COPD.
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What information should the nurse include in the client's health record after a fall in the bathroom?
- A. Client fell while trying to go to the bathroom
- B. The UAP left the client alone and a fall occurred
- C. The client was found on the floor with no pulse
- D. The client fell, sustaining a fracture to the left hip
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because the nurse should document factual, objective information such as the injury sustained by the client. Reporting the specific injury, like a fracture to the left hip, is crucial for accurate medical records. Choices A, B, and C lack specific detail about the injury and focus on different aspects of the fall that are not as pertinent for the health record. Choice A only mentions the fall without specifying the injury, choice B introduces blame without focusing on the client's condition, and choice C adds unnecessary information about the client's pulse which is not directly related to the fall injury.
A client is scheduled for surgery in the morning and is NPO. Which statement indicates that the client understands the reason for being NPO?
- A. Being NPO helps reduce the risk of nausea.
- B. I should not eat or drink anything to prevent complications during surgery.
- C. NPO reduces the risk of aspiration during surgery.
- D. NPO helps ensure the stomach is empty during surgery.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'NPO reduces the risk of aspiration during surgery.' When a client is NPO (nothing by mouth) before surgery, it is to prevent aspiration, which can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia. Choice A is incorrect because being NPO is more about preventing aspiration than nausea. Choice B is a general statement without specifying the reason for being NPO. Choice D is partially correct but does not emphasize the crucial aspect of preventing aspiration, which is the primary reason for fasting before surgery.
While auscultating heart sounds, the nurse hears a swishing sound. How should this sound be documented?
- A. Heart murmur.
- B. Murmur.
- C. S3 sound.
- D. S4 sound.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'Murmur.' A murmur is a swishing sound heard during auscultation, typically caused by turbulent blood flow through the heart or valves. Choices C and D, 'S3 sound' and 'S4 sound,' refer to specific heart sounds associated with different cardiac conditions, not the general description of a swishing sound. Choice A, 'Heart murmur,' is redundant as 'murmur' alone is sufficient to describe the swishing sound heard.
A male client reports numbness and tingling in his fingers and around his mouth. What laboratory value should the nurse review?
- A. Capillary glucose.
- B. Serum calcium.
- C. Urine specific gravity.
- D. White blood cell count.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B, Serum calcium. Numbness and tingling in the fingers and around the mouth are indicative of hypocalcemia, a condition characterized by low calcium levels in the blood. Reviewing the client's serum calcium levels is crucial in this situation to assess for hypocalcemia. Choice A, Capillary glucose, is incorrect because symptoms described are not typically associated with glucose abnormalities. Choice C, Urine specific gravity, and Choice D, White blood cell count, are unrelated to the symptoms presented and are not indicative of the client's condition.
The healthcare provider is assessing a client who has just received anesthesia. What is the most critical finding to report to the healthcare provider?
- A. Client reports dizziness
- B. Client has a drop in blood pressure
- C. Client experiences mild nausea
- D. Client reports dry mouth
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A significant drop in blood pressure following anesthesia could indicate a serious reaction, such as hypovolemia or anesthetic-induced hypotension. This requires immediate medical attention, while other symptoms like dizziness, mild nausea, and dry mouth are more common and less critical. Dizziness could be expected due to the effects of anesthesia, mild nausea is a common side effect, and dry mouth is a known effect of anesthesia as well.
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