A nurse is preparing to administer a blood transfusion. What is the most important action to ensure patient safety?
- A. Check the patient's vital signs every 15 minutes during the transfusion.
- B. Verify the patient's identity with two identifiers before starting the transfusion.
- C. Ensure the blood product is administered within 4 hours of removal from the blood bank.
- D. Ensure the patient has signed the informed consent form.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The most important action to ensure patient safety when administering a blood transfusion is to verify the patient's identity with two identifiers before starting the transfusion. This step is crucial to prevent transfusion errors, such as giving the blood to the wrong patient. Checking vital signs, ensuring timely administration, and confirming informed consent are also important aspects of blood transfusion safety but verifying the patient's identity is the highest priority to prevent errors.
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A client with a history of seizures is admitted for monitoring. What should the nurse prioritize?
- A. Ensure the client is on seizure precautions.
- B. Educate the client about seizure triggers.
- C. Monitor for signs of an impending seizure.
- D. Initiate IV access for anti-seizure medication.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is to ensure the client is on seizure precautions. This is crucial in preventing injury during a seizure episode. While educating the client about seizure triggers (choice B) is important for long-term management, it is not the priority when the client is admitted for monitoring. Monitoring for signs of an impending seizure (choice C) is essential but does not address immediate safety concerns. Initiating IV access for anti-seizure medication (choice D) is not the priority unless a seizure occurs and medical intervention is needed.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has just returned from surgery. What is the nurse's priority action?
- A. Monitor the patient's pain level.
- B. Assess the patient's vital signs.
- C. Assess the surgical incision site.
- D. Position the patient in a high Fowler's position.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Assess the patient's vital signs. Assessing vital signs is crucial as it helps to detect any early signs of complications such as bleeding, shock, or changes in oxygenation. Monitoring the patient's pain level (Choice A) is important but assessing vital signs takes precedence. While assessing the surgical incision site (Choice C) is essential, ensuring the patient's physiological stability through vital sign assessment is the priority. Positioning the patient in a high Fowler's position (Choice D) may be necessary for comfort but does not address the immediate need to assess the patient's condition post-surgery.
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.
A nurse is preparing to administer morphine sulfate to a client. What should the nurse assess before administration?
- A. Assess for pain relief.
- B. Monitor for respiratory depression.
- C. Assess the infusion site for complications.
- D. Increase the dosage if the client reports more pain.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Correct answer: Before administering morphine sulfate, the nurse should monitor for respiratory depression as it is a significant side effect of this medication. Assessing for pain relief (Choice A) is important but not a pre-administration assessment. Checking the infusion site for complications (Choice C) is relevant for IV medications, not specifically for morphine sulfate. Increasing the dosage if the client reports more pain (Choice D) is not appropriate without further assessment and medical orders.
What is the priority nursing intervention for a patient with a new tracheostomy?
- A. Suction the tracheostomy as needed to maintain a patent airway.
- B. Monitor the patient's oxygen saturation.
- C. Provide humidified air to prevent drying of the airway.
- D. Administer pain medication as prescribed.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is to suction the tracheostomy as needed to maintain a patent airway. After a tracheostomy procedure, the immediate concern is airway patency to prevent respiratory compromise. Suctioning helps clear secretions and maintains a clear airway, reducing the risk of respiratory distress. Monitoring the patient's oxygen saturation (choice B) is important but not the priority compared to ensuring a clear airway. Providing humidified air (choice C) and administering pain medication (choice D) are also essential aspects of care for a patient with a tracheostomy, but they are not the priority when immediate airway management is required.