A female client with type 2 diabetes reports that she has been taking her medications as prescribed but her blood glucose levels remain elevated. Which action should the nurse take first?
- A. Check the client's current blood glucose level.
- B. Assess the client's diet and medication adherence.
- C. Review the client's medication list for potential interactions.
- D. Obtain a hemoglobin A1c level.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct action the nurse should take first is to review the client's medication list for potential interactions. This step is crucial as it can help identify any medications that might be contributing to the elevated blood glucose levels. Checking the current blood glucose level (choice A) is important but not the first action to address the ongoing issue. Assessing the client's diet and medication adherence (choice B) is also important, but reviewing the medication list should be the initial step to rule out any drug-related causes. Obtaining a hemoglobin A1c level (choice D) is a valuable assessment but may not address the immediate need to identify potential medication interactions.
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To reduce staff nurse role ambiguity, which strategy should the nurse-manager implement?
- A. Review the staff nurse job description to ensure that it is clear, accurate, and current.
- B. Conduct regular meetings to clarify roles.
- C. Increase communication between team members.
- D. Provide additional training for new nurses.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Review the staff nurse job description to ensure that it is clear, accurate, and current. By ensuring that job descriptions are clear and up-to-date, nurse-managers can reduce ambiguity and confusion about roles and responsibilities. Choice B, conducting regular meetings to clarify roles, may help but may not address the root cause of ambiguity. Choice C, increasing communication between team members, is important but may not specifically target role ambiguity. Choice D, providing additional training for new nurses, is valuable but may not directly address role ambiguity among existing staff.
A healthcare provider is assessing a client with a history of hypertension who is currently taking a diuretic. Which assessment finding is most important to report to the healthcare provider?
- A. Potassium level of 3.2 mEq/L
- B. Blood pressure of 148/90 mmHg
- C. Pulse rate of 62 beats per minute
- D. Blood glucose level of 130 mg/dl
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A potassium level of 3.2 mEq/L is low and places the client at risk for cardiac arrhythmias, requiring immediate intervention. Hypokalemia can result from diuretic use and can lead to serious complications such as irregular heart rhythms. Monitoring and correcting potassium levels are crucial in preventing adverse cardiac events. The other options, though important, do not pose an immediate life-threatening risk compared to the low potassium level.
The nurse is assessing a client with left-sided heart failure. Which clinical finding requires immediate intervention?
- A. Jugular venous distention
- B. Shortness of breath
- C. Crackles in the lungs
- D. Peripheral edema
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Corrected Rationale: In a client with left-sided heart failure, crackles in the lungs are the most concerning finding as they indicate pulmonary congestion, which requires immediate intervention to prevent worsening heart failure symptoms and respiratory distress. Jugular venous distention, shortness of breath, and peripheral edema are also common in heart failure but are not as critical as crackles in the lungs because they may indicate fluid overload or right-sided heart failure, which are important to address but not as urgently as managing pulmonary congestion.
A male client with impaired renal function who takes ibuprofen daily for chronic arthritis is showing signs of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding. After administering IV fluids and a blood transfusion, his blood pressure is 100/70 mm Hg, and his renal output is 20 ml/hour. Which intervention should the nurse include in his care plan?
- A. Maintain the client NPO during the diuresis phase.
- B. Evaluate daily serial renal laboratory studies for progressive elevations.
- C. Observe the urine character for sedimentation and cloudy appearance.
- D. Monitor for the onset of polyuria greater than 150 ml/hour.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: In this scenario, the correct intervention for the nurse to include in the care plan is to evaluate daily serial renal laboratory studies for progressive elevations. This is crucial in monitoring renal function and detecting any worsening renal impairment. Option A is not directly related to managing renal function in this case. Option C focuses more on urinary characteristics rather than renal function monitoring. Option D addresses polyuria, which is an excessive urine output, but it does not specifically address the need for evaluating renal laboratory studies for progressive elevations.
A client with gestational diabetes, at 39 weeks of gestation, is in the second stage of labor. After delivering the fetal head, the nurse recognizes that shoulder dystocia is occurring. What intervention should the nurse implement first?
- A. Prepare the client for an emergency cesarean birth
- B. Encourage the client to move to a hands-and-knees position
- C. Assist the client to sharply flex her thighs up against the abdomen
- D. Lower the head of the bed and apply suprapubic pressure
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: In cases of shoulder dystocia, the priority intervention is to assist the client in sharply flexing her thighs up against the abdomen (McRoberts maneuver). This action helps to widen the pelvic outlet. Encouraging the client to move to a hands-and-knees position may also be beneficial in some cases but is not the first-line intervention. Preparing for an emergency cesarean birth and applying suprapubic pressure are not appropriate initial interventions for shoulder dystocia.