A nurse is caring for a patient with heart failure who has developed pulmonary edema. What is the nurse's priority action?
- A. Administer a diuretic as prescribed.
- B. Place the patient in a high Fowler's position.
- C. Administer oxygen via nasal cannula.
- D. Monitor the patient's lung sounds every 2 hours.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is to place the patient in a high Fowler's position. This position helps improve lung expansion and oxygenation in cases of pulmonary edema by reducing venous return to the heart and enhancing respiratory mechanics. Administering a diuretic (Choice A) can be important but is not the priority over positioning in this situation. Administering oxygen (Choice C) is essential, but the priority action for improving oxygenation is the positioning of the patient. Monitoring lung sounds (Choice D) is crucial for ongoing assessment but is not the priority action when the patient is in distress with pulmonary edema.
You may also like to solve these questions
A nurse notices another nurse skipping hand hygiene. What is the appropriate course of action?
- A. Ignore the situation to maintain team harmony.
- B. Report the behavior to the supervisor.
- C. Discuss the issue with the nurse directly.
- D. Do nothing and continue with patient care.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct hand hygiene is crucial for preventing the spread of infections and ensuring patient safety. When a nurse observes another healthcare worker skipping hand hygiene practices, it is essential to report this behavior to the supervisor. Reporting ensures that appropriate action is taken to address the issue and maintain a safe environment for patients. Ignoring the situation (Choice A) may compromise patient safety. Discussing the issue directly with the nurse (Choice C) may not always be effective in ensuring compliance. Doing nothing and continuing with patient care (Choice D) disregards the importance of infection control protocols.
What is the most appropriate action for handling hazardous drugs?
- A. Wear gloves and wash hands after handling.
- B. Store the drugs according to manufacturer instructions.
- C. Discard unused drugs in regular trash.
- D. Wear personal protective equipment (PPE) when handling hazardous drugs.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The most appropriate action when handling hazardous drugs is to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect oneself from exposure to the harmful substances. Gloves and handwashing are important but may not provide sufficient protection from hazardous drugs. Storing drugs correctly and disposing of unused drugs properly are also essential, but the primary focus should be on using PPE to prevent exposure.
When educating a patient with hypertension about lifestyle changes, what is the most crucial advice to provide?
- A. Advise the patient to reduce salt intake.
- B. Instruct the patient to limit alcohol consumption.
- C. Recommend the patient to exercise for 30 minutes every day.
- D. Instruct the patient to avoid high-cholesterol foods.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The most critical lifestyle change for a patient with hypertension is to reduce salt intake. Excessive salt consumption can lead to increased blood pressure levels. While limiting alcohol consumption (Choice B) and regular exercise (Choice C) are also beneficial for managing hypertension, reducing salt intake has a more direct impact on blood pressure control. Avoiding high-cholesterol foods (Choice D) is important for heart health but may not have as significant an impact on blood pressure as reducing salt intake.
If a nurse is uncomfortable documenting a verbal prescription, what should the nurse do?
- A. Document the prescription without seeking clarification.
- B. Clarify the verbal prescription with the healthcare provider.
- C. Refuse to document the prescription.
- D. Speak with the client's family to clarify the situation.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: When a nurse is uncomfortable documenting a verbal prescription, the best course of action is to clarify the prescription with the healthcare provider. This is crucial to ensure that the information is accurate and to provide safe and appropriate care. Option A is incorrect because blindly documenting without seeking clarification can lead to errors. Option C is incorrect as refusing to document the prescription altogether is not in the best interest of the patient. Option D is also incorrect as speaking with the client's family is not the appropriate step to clarify a verbal prescription; the healthcare provider should be the primary source for this clarification.
Which action by the nurse will help prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a patient on mechanical ventilation?
- A. Provide oral care every 4 hours.
- B. Reposition the patient every 2 hours.
- C. Suction the patient as needed.
- D. Administer antibiotics as prescribed.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. Providing oral care every 4 hours helps prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia by reducing the buildup of bacteria in the mouth that can be aspirated into the lungs. Repositioning the patient every 2 hours is important for preventing pressure ulcers but is not directly related to preventing VAP. Suctioning the patient as needed is essential for maintaining airway patency but does not specifically prevent VAP. Administering antibiotics as prescribed is a treatment for infections but does not prevent VAP.