An oncology patient has just returned from the postanesthesia care unit after an open hemicolectomy. This patient's plan of nursing care should prioritize which of the following?
- A. Assess the patient hourly for signs of compartment syndrome
- B. Assess the patient's fine motor skills once per shift
- C. Assess the patient's wound for dehiscence every 4 hours
- D. Maintain the patient's head of bed at 45 degrees or more at all times
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Post-hemicolectomy, wound dehiscence splitting open is a killer risk, tied to infection or poor healing, needing checks every 4 hours. Compartment syndrome's a fracture thing, not gut surgery. Fine motor's irrelevant here neuro's not the issue. High head-of-bed helps breathing but isn't universal post-op. Nurses in oncology prioritize this, catching leaks or redness early, critical after cancer gut surgery.
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A 45 year old man, BMI 35 but otherwise healthy and normotensive has an urinary albumin excretion of 30 mg in 24 hours. Which is the correct action to take?
- A. Reduce weight
- B. It can be observed over 3 months for improvement
- C. Refer him to a nephrologist
- D. Treatment is required
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Albumin 30 microalbuminuria's dawn, weight loss curbs it; watch, refer, treat, ignore lag. Nurses nudge this chronic kidney shield.
What do you tell patients is the most important risk factor for lung cancer when you are teaching about lung cancer prevention?
- A. Cigarette smoking
- B. Exposure to environmental/occupational carcinogens
- C. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)
- D. Pipe or cigar smoking
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Cigarette smoking towers as lung cancer's top risk 80-90% of cases tie to its carcinogens like tar and nicotine, a dose-dependent killer dwarfing other factors. Environmental/occupational exposures like asbestos amplify risk, especially with smoking, but lack its prevalence. ETS hikes risk by 35%, significant yet secondary. Pipe or cigar smoking carries risk, less than cigarettes due to inhalation patterns. Teaching smoking as paramount drives home its preventable dominance, urging cessation as the gold-standard defense, a nurse's key message to slash lung cancer odds, backed by epidemiology and public health campaigns.
A patient who has ovarian cancer is crying and tells the nurse, 'My husband rarely visits. He just doesn't care.' The husband indicates to the nurse that he does not know what to say to his wife. Which nursing diagnosis is appropriate for the nurse to add to the plan of care?
- A. Compromised family coping related to disruption in lifestyle
- B. Impaired home maintenance related to perceived role changes
- C. Risk for caregiver role strain related to burdens of caregiving responsibilities
- D. Dysfunctional family processes related to effect of illness on family members
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Ovarian cancer's toll her tears, his silence points to dysfunctional family processes; illness jams communication, not lifestyle , home upkeep , or caregiving load . He's lost, not burdened. Nurses in oncology peg this cancer's ripple screws up dynamics, needing talks to bridge the gap, not just task fixes.
The clinic nurse is caring for a 42-year-old male oncology patient. He complains of extreme fatigue and weakness after his first week of radiation therapy. Which response by the nurse would best reassure this patient?
- A. These symptoms usually result from radiation therapy; however, we will continue to monitor your laboratory and x-ray studies
- B. These symptoms are part of your disease and are an unfortunately inevitable part of living with cancer
- C. Try not to be concerned about these symptoms. Every patient feels this way after having radiation therapy
- D. Even though it is uncomfortable, this is a good sign. It means that only the cancer cells are dying
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Radiation zaps energy fatigue and weakness are par for the course, tied to inflammation and repair in treated tissues. Saying this, plus promising lab and imaging checks, reassures him it's expected, not a red flag, and keeps him in the loop. Blaming cancer alone dodges the treatment link, unsettling him. Dismissing it as universal or a good sign' feels flippant normal cells die too. Nurses in oncology lean on honesty and vigilance, easing fears while tracking for worse issues like anemia or infection.
A nurse is caring for a client diagnosed with peripheral artery disease. Which of the following is a common assessment finding?
- A. 4+ pedal pulses
- B. 3+ pedal pulses
- C. Bounding pulses in all 4 extremities
- D. 1+ pedal pulses
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Peripheral artery disease (PAD) clogs arteries, slashing flow 1+ pedal pulses (weak, thready) are typical, reflecting ischemia below blockages. 4+ or 3+ pulses (strong) contradict PAD's hypoperfusion; bounding pulses suggest hyperdynamic states, not occlusion. Nurses expect weak pulses, checking for pain or pallor, key to tracking PAD's limb-threatening march, guiding interventions like revascularization.