A healthcare professional is preparing to delegate client care tasks to an assistive personnel (AP). Which of the following tasks should the healthcare professional delegate?
- A. Confirming that a client's pain has decreased after receiving an analgesic
- B. Ambulating a client who is postoperative
- C. Inserting an indwelling urinary catheter for a client
- D. Demonstrating the use of an incentive spirometer to a client
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is option A: 'Confirming that a client's pain has decreased after receiving an analgesic.' This task involves assessing the effectiveness of the medication, which can be delegated to the assistive personnel. Options B, C, and D involve skills that should be performed by licensed healthcare professionals due to their complexity and potential risks if not done correctly. Ambulating a postoperative client requires monitoring for signs of distress or complications, inserting a urinary catheter involves an invasive procedure with infection risks, and demonstrating the use of medical devices like an incentive spirometer requires specialized knowledge to ensure correct usage.
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An RN’s current patient and family have presented her with an ethical dilemma. What is the first step the RN should take to find a workable solution to the problem?
- A. Planning
- B. Assessment
- C. Evaluation
- D. Implementation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
While interviewing for a position at City Hospital, the nurse asks about the organizational structure of the institution. She is told that the hospital is organized into departments based on specialty (e.g., nursing, dietary, pharmacy, etc.). Based on what you know about organizational structure, select the structure in this example.
- A. Parallel
- B. Functional
- C. Service-integrated
- D. Matrix
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Functional. In functional structures, employees are grouped in departments based on specialty, allowing individuals with similar skills and tasks to work together efficiently. In this scenario, organizing the hospital into departments such as nursing, dietary, and pharmacy based on their specialties exemplifies a functional organizational structure. Choice A, Parallel structure, involves independent units working on similar tasks. Choice C, Service-integrated structure, emphasizes cross-functional teamwork across various departments. Choice D, Matrix structure, involves employees reporting to multiple managers for different projects or tasks, which is not described in the scenario.
A client is receiving pain medication through a PCA pump. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
- A. Educate the family not to push the button for the client while the client is asleep.
- B. Explain to the client that vital signs will be monitored regularly due to being on a PCA pump.
- C. Instruct the client to push the button only when pain is above a 7 on a scale of 0 to 10.
- D. Adjust the basal rate and decrease the lock-out interval time if the client's pain level is too high.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: When a client is receiving pain medication through a PCA pump, it is essential to adjust the settings if their pain level is not adequately controlled. Increasing the basal rate and shortening the lock-out interval time can help manage the client's pain more effectively. This adjustment should be made by the healthcare provider based on the client's pain assessment and response to the current settings. It is crucial to individualize the PCA pump settings to optimize pain management for each client. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect because educating the family not to push the button, explaining vital sign monitoring, and setting a specific pain level for button pushing are not direct actions the nurse should take to adjust the PCA pump settings for effective pain management.
What is a common barrier to effective delegation?
- A. Lack of trust in team members
- B. Lack of communication
- C. Inadequate training
- D. Lack of resources
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: One of the common barriers to effective delegation is a lack of trust in team members. Delegating tasks involves entrusting responsibilities to others, and without trust in the team members' capabilities, the delegator may struggle to effectively assign tasks. Trust is essential for successful delegation as it allows for empowerment and accountability within the team. Lack of communication is also crucial for effective delegation, but the lack of trust has a more profound impact as it directly affects the ability to delegate tasks. Inadequate training and lack of resources, while important factors, are not as fundamental as trust in team members when it comes to effective delegation.
What should the nurse do after a 36-year-old patient treated with intramuscular glucagon for hypoglycemia regains consciousness?
- A. Assess the patient for symptoms of hyperglycemia.
- B. Give the patient a snack of peanut butter and crackers.
- C. Have the patient drink a glass of orange juice or nonfat milk.
- D. Administer a continuous infusion of 5% dextrose for 24 hours.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: After a patient treated with intramuscular glucagon for hypoglycemia regains consciousness, providing a snack of peanut butter and crackers is essential to prevent another episode of hypoglycemia. Peanut butter and crackers contain a combination of protein and carbohydrates, which can help stabilize the patient's blood glucose levels. This choice is the most appropriate immediate action to prevent recurrence of hypoglycemia in this scenario. Assessing for symptoms of hyperglycemia (choice A) is not the immediate priority after treating hypoglycemia. While orange juice or nonfat milk (choice C) can help raise blood sugar, they lack the sustained effect of protein found in peanut butter. Administering continuous infusion of dextrose (choice D) is excessive and not indicated after the patient has already regained consciousness.