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A nurse is caring for a patient with an eye infection with a moderate amount of discharge. What is the most appropriate technique for the nurse to use when cleansing this patient's eyes?
- A. Using diluted hydrogen peroxide on a clean washcloth to wipe the eyes
- B. Wiping the eye from the outer canthus toward the inner canthus
- C. Positioning the patient on the opposite side of the eye to be cleansed
- D. Cleansing the eye using a different section of the cloth for each stroke until clean
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse applies gloves for the cleaning procedure, uses water or normal saline, and a clean washcloth or gauze to cleanse the eyes. After dampening a cleaning cloth with the solution of choice, the nurse wipes once while moving from the inner canthus to the outer canthus of the eye to reduce forcing debris into the area drained by the nasolacrimal duct. The nurse should turn the cleansing cloth and use a different section for each stroke until the eye is clean.
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A nurse is about to bathe a female patient who has an IV in the forearm. The patient's gown, which does not have snaps on the sleeves, needs to be removed prior to bathing. How will the nurse proceed?
- A. Quickly disconnecting the IV tubing closest to the patient and thread it through the gown sleeve
- B. Cutting the gown with scissors to allow arm movement
- C. Threading the bag and tubing through the gown sleeve, keeping the line intact
- D. Temporarily disconnecting the tubing from the IV container, threading it through the gown
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Threading the bag and tubing through the gown sleeve maintains a closed system and prevents contamination. No matter how quickly performed, any disconnection of IV tubing results in a breach of the sterile system, creating risk for infection. Cutting a gown is not an alternative except in an emergency.
A home care nurse is assisting an older adult with an unsteady gait with a tub bath. Which action is recommended in this procedure?
- A. Adding bath oil to the water to prevent dry skin
- B. Allowing the patient to lock the door to guarantee privacy
- C. Assisting the patient in and out of the tub to prevent falling
- D. Keeping the water temperature very warm because older adults chill easily
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Safe nursing practice requires that the nurse assists a patient with an unsteady gait in and out of the tub. Adding bath oil to the bath water poses a safety risk because it makes the patient and tub slippery. Although privacy is important, if the patient locks the door, the nurse cannot help if there is an emergency. The water should be comfortably warm at 43?° to 46?°C. Older adults have an increased susceptibility to burns due to diminished sensitivity.
A nurse caring for patients in a critical care unit knows that providing good oral hygiene is an essential to good patient outcomes, especially for those receiving mechanical ventilation. What are positive outcomes expected from this care? Select all that apply.
- A. Promoting the patient's sense of well-being
- B. Preventing deterioration of the oral cavity
- C. Contributing to decreased incidence of aspiration pneumonia
- D. Eliminating the need for flossing
- E. Decreasing oropharyngeal secretions
- F. Compensating for an inadequate diet
Correct Answer: A,B,C
Rationale: Adequate oral hygiene is essential for promoting the patient's sense of well-being and preventing deterioration of the oral cavity. Diligent oral hygiene and use of chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) in critical care areas, can limit the growth of pathogens in oropharyngeal secretions, decreasing the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia, and other systemic diseases. Oral care does not eliminate the need for flossing, decrease oropharyngeal secretions, or compensate for poor nutrition.
A nurse is caring for a 25-year-old patient who is unresponsive following a head injury. The patient has several piercings in the ears and nose that appear crusted and slightly inflamed. What is the most appropriate action to care for this patient's piercings?
- A. Avoiding removing or washing the piercings until the patient is responsive
- B. Rinsing the sites with warm water and remove crusts with a cotton swab
- C. Washing the sites with alcohol and apply an antibiotic ointment
- D. Removing the jewelry and allow the sites to heal over
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When providing care for piercings, the nurse performs hand hygiene, applies gloves, then cleanses the site of all crusts and debris by rinsing the site with warm water and removing the crusts with a cotton swab. The nurse should then apply a dab of liquid-medicated cleanser, per policy, to the area, turn the jewelry back and forth to work the cleanser around the opening, rinse well, remove gloves, and perform hand hygiene. The nurse should not use alcohol, peroxide, or ointments at the site and should avoid removing piercings unless it is absolutely necessary (e.g., when an MRI is ordered.)
A nurse is performing oral care on a patient who has advanced dementia. The nurse notes that the mouth is extremely dry with crusts remaining after the oral care. What action will the nurse take next?
- A. Recommend a consultation with an oral surgeon.
- B. Communicate the condition to the health care team.
- C. Gently scrape the oral cavity with a tongue depressor.
- D. Increase the frequency of the oral hygiene and apply mouth moisturizer to oral mucosa.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: If initial oral care results in continued dryness of the oral cavity with crusting, the nurse should increase frequency of oral hygiene, apply mouth moisturizer to oral mucosa, and monitor fluid intake and output to ensure adequate intake of fluid. It is not necessary to report this condition prior to providing the interventions mentioned above; however, mouth care and re-evaluation of the oral cavity is documented. The crusts should not be scraped with a tongue depressor.