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After delivering a healthy newborn 1 hour ago, a nurse notes a woman's radial pulse rate is 55 beats/min. What action should the nurse take based on this finding?
- A. Reporting the finding to the healthcare provider immediately
- B. Helping the woman stay in bed and rest
- C. Documenting the finding
- D. Performing active and passive range-of-motion exercises
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: After delivery, bradycardia (pulse rate 50-70 beats/min) may occur, reflecting the large amount of blood returning to the central circulation after delivery of the placenta. The increase in central circulation results in increased stroke volume, allowing a slower heart rate to provide adequate maternal circulation. A pulse rate of 55 beats/min falls within the normal range post-delivery, so there is no need to notify the healthcare provider immediately. It is important for the client to remain on bed rest in the immediate postpartum period to prevent complications. While range-of-motion exercises are beneficial for a client on bed rest, it is not the priority based on the data provided. Therefore, the most appropriate nursing action is to document the finding for accurate record-keeping and monitoring of the client's condition.
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A nurse is telling a pregnant client about the signs that must be reported to the health care provider. The nurse tells the client that the health care provider should be contacted if which occurs?
- A. Puffiness of the face
- B. Breast tenderness
- C. Morning sickness
- D. Urinary frequency
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: During pregnancy, it is important to be aware of danger signs that warrant contacting the healthcare provider. Puffiness of the face, especially around the eyes, can indicate a serious condition like preeclampsia. Other danger signs include vaginal bleeding, rupture of membranes, severe abdominal pain, visual disturbances, persistent vomiting, and changes in fetal movements. Morning sickness, breast tenderness, and urinary frequency are common symptoms of pregnancy and are not typically concerning unless they become severe or persistent, and do not usually require immediate medical attention.
What is the most appropriate initial action for a newborn infant with low blood glucose?
- A. Ask the registered nurse to draw another blood sample in 2 hours and repeat the test
- B. Contact the healthcare provider
- C. Contact the registered nurse
- D. Document the results in the newborn's medical record
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The blood glucose level for a newborn infant should remain greater than 40 mg/dL to prevent permanent brain damage. When dealing with low blood glucose in a newborn, the most appropriate initial action is to contact the registered nurse. The nurse will obtain prescriptions regarding feeding the infant with low blood glucose and follow agency policies on feeding infants in such conditions. It is common practice to feed the infant if the glucose level is 40 mg/dL or less. Asking the registered nurse to draw another blood sample in 2 hours and repeating the test is not the most appropriate immediate action, as timely intervention is crucial in this situation. Contacting the healthcare provider may cause unnecessary delays since the registered nurse is usually the first point of contact for immediate actions in this scenario. Documenting the results in the newborn's medical record is essential, but it is not the initial step in managing low blood glucose in a newborn.
The nurse, assisting with data collection of the abdomen, inspects the client’s abdomen. Which assessment technique should the nurse perform next?
- A. Percussion
- B. Auscultation
- C. Light palpation
- D. Deep palpation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is auscultation. The assessment techniques used for a physical examination are inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation. These techniques are normally performed in this order. However, in the abdominal examination, auscultation is performed after inspection and before palpation and percussion. This order is specific to the abdomen because palpation and percussion can increase peristalsis, leading to a false interpretation of bowel sounds. Therefore, auscultation is performed before palpation and percussion in abdominal assessments to ensure accurate bowel sound assessment. Percussion and palpation are performed after auscultation in abdominal assessments. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as auscultation is the next assessment technique to perform after inspection in abdominal assessments, followed by palpation and percussion.
A client is pregnant for the sixth time. She tells the nurse that she has had three elective first-trimester abortions and that she has a son who was born at 40 weeks' gestation and a daughter who was born at 36 weeks' gestation. In calculating the gravidity and para (parity), the nurse determines that the client is:
- A. Gravida 2, para 6
- B. Gravida 6, para 2
- C. Gravida 3, para 6
- D. Gravida 2, para 2
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The term gravida refers to the number of pregnancies, of any duration, that a woman has had. Parity (para) refers to the number of pregnancies that have progressed past 20 weeks at delivery. Therefore, this client is gravida 6 (pregnant for the sixth time), para 2 (has a son and a daughter). In this case, the correct answer is Gravida 6, para 2. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect as they do not accurately reflect the information provided. Pregnancy outcomes are often described using the GTPAL acronym: gravida (G), term births (T), preterm births (P), abortions (A), and live births (L). Applying this to the client's history, the GTPAL would be G = 6, T = 1, P = 1, A = 3, L = 2, which further confirms the correct answer.
When a middle-age woman says to the nurse, 'I'm really worried about menopause. When my mom went through it, she got really depressed.' The nurse's best response is:
- A. It is a myth that women get depressed because of menopause.
- B. Menopause is a normal developmental process.
- C. It sounds like you are worried that you might become depressed during menopause.
- D. When women experience depression during menopause it is usually because of social stresses.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Choice 3 not only acknowledges the client's fear but invites more disclosure and discussion. Reflective listening is very therapeutic and in this case acknowledges the woman's unspoken fear that she might become depressed like her mother. When her fears have been acknowledged and she feels that the nurse understands, she will be more open to the teaching or interventions to follow. It is a myth that menopause causes depression, but to say that to this client does not acknowledge the fear she shared with the nurse and gives the impression the nurse doesn't care about her concern. It closes down communication. It is also true that menopause is a normal developmental process. This can certainly be used in teaching but not to address her immediate concern; the client might feel the nurse doesn't think her concern is appropriate because menopause is normal. If women experience depression during menopause, it is usually due to social stresses such as loss of loved ones, loss of roles, caregiver demands, and physical problems. Choice 4 is true but is a nontherapeutic response in this situation.