Nokea
A nurse supervises an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) applying electrocardiographic monitoring. Which statement should the nurse provide to the UAP related to this procedure?
- A. Clean the skin and clip hairs if needed
- B. Add gel to the chest prior to applying them
- C. Place the electrodes on the posterior chest
- D. Turn off oxygen prior to monitoring the client
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: To ensure the best signal transmission, the skin should be clean and hairs clipped. Electrodes should be placed on the anterior chest, and no additional gel is needed. Oxygen has no impact on electrocardiographic monitoring.
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A nurse cares for a client who is on a cardiac monitor. The monitor displayed the rhythm shown below: Which action should the nurse take first?
- A. Assess airway, breathing, and level of consciousness
- B. Administer an amiodarone bolus followed by a drip
- C. Cardiovert the client with a biphasic defibrillator
- D. Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Ventricular dysrhythmias and ventricular fibrillation require immediate assessment of the client's airway, breathing, and level of consciousness to determine if the client is alert and breathing. If the client is pulseless, the nurse should call a Code Blue and begin CPR. Defibrillation is the treatment of choice for pulseless ventricular fibrillation. Amiodarone is the antiarrhythmic of choice, but it is not the first action.
A nurse assesses a clients electrocardiograph tracing and observes that not all QRS complexes are preceded by type of nurse. How should the nurse interprets this observation?
- A. The client has hyperkalemia causing irregular QRS complexes.
- B. Ventricular tachycardia is overriding the normal atrial rhythm?
- C. The clients chest leads are not making significant contact with the skin.
- D. Ventricular and atrial depolarizations are initiated from different sites.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Normal rhythm shows one P wave preceding each QRS complex, indicating that all depolarization is initiated at the sinoatrial node. QRS complexes without a P wave indicate a different source of initiation of depolarization. This findings on an electrocardiograph tracing is not an indication of hyperkalemia, ventricular tachycardia, or disconnection of leads.
A nurse cares for a client with congestive heart failure who has a regular cardiac rhythm of 128 Beats/min. What should the nurse assess? (Select all that apply.)
- A. Decrease in cardiac output
- B. Increase in cardiac output
- C. Increase in cardiac output
- D. Increase in blood pressure
- E. Decrease in urine output
- F. Increase in urine output
Correct Answer: A,D,E
Rationale: Tachycardia may initially cause blood pressure and cardiac output to increase. However, in a client who has congestive heart failure or a client with long-term tachycardia, ventricular filling time, cardiac output, and blood pressure eventually decrease. As cardiac output and blood pressure decrease, urine output will fall.
The nurse is caring for a client on the medical-surgical unit who suddenly becomes unresponsive and has no pulse. The cardiac monitor shows the rhythm below. After calling for assistance and a defibrillator, which action should the nurse take next?
- A. Perform a pericardial thump
- B. Initiate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- C. Start an 8-gauge intravenous line
- D. Ask the clients family about code status
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The client's rhythm is ventricular fibrillation. This is a lethal rhythm that is best treated with immediate defibrillation. While the nurse is waiting for the defibrillator to arrive, the nurse should start CPR. The pericardial thump is not a treatment for ventricular fibrillation. If the client does not already have an IV, other members of the team can insert one after defibrillation. The client's code status should already be known by the nurse prior to the event.
A nurse assesses a client with tachycardia. Which clinical manifestation requires immediate intervention by the nurse?
- A. Mid-sternal chest pain
- B. Increased urine output
- C. Mild orthostatic hypotension
- D. P wave touching the T wave
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Chest pain, possibly angina, indicates that tachycardia may be increasing the client's myocardial workload and oxygen demand to such an extent that normal oxygen delivery cannot keep pace. This results in myocardial hypoxia and pain. Increased urinary output and mild orthostatic hypotension are not life-threatening conditions and therefore do not require immediate intervention. The P wave touching the T wave indicates tachycardia and should be assessed to determine the underlying rhythm and cause, but this is not as critical as chest pain, which indicates cardiac cell death.