Nokea
Before the administration of preoperative medications, the nurse is preparing to witness the patient signing the operative consent form when the patient says, 'I do not really understand what the doctor said.' Which of the following actions is best for the nurse to take?
- A. Provide an explanation of the planned surgical procedure.
- B. Notify the surgeon that the informed-consent process is not complete.
- C. Administer the prescribed preoperative antibiotics and withhold any ordered sedative medications.
- D. Notify the operating room staff that the surgeon needs to give a more complete explanation of the procedure.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The surgeon is responsible for explaining the surgery to the patient, and the nurse should wait until the surgeon has clarified the surgery before having the patient sign the consent form. The nurse should communicate directly with the surgeon about the consent form rather than asking other staff to pass on the message. It is not within the nurse's legal scope of practice to explain the surgical procedure. No preoperative medications should be administered until the patient signs the consent form.
You may also like to solve these questions
The nurse is caring for a patient with diabetes who is scheduled for a mastectomy at 1:00 PM today and it is now 8:30 AM. The patient uses insulin to control blood glucose and has been NPO since midnight. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
- A. Withhold the usual scheduled insulin dose because the patient is NPO.
- B. Obtain a blood glucose measurement before any insulin administration.
- C. Administer the usual insulin dose because stress will increase the blood glucose.
- D. Administer a lower dose of insulin because there will be no oral intake before surgery.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Preoperative insulin administration is individualized to the patient, and the current blood glucose will provide the most reliable information about insulin needs. It Sp?³??
Which of the following topics is most important for the nurse to discuss preoperatively with a patient who is scheduled for a colon resection?
- A. Care for the surgical incision
- B. Medications used during surgery
- C. Deep-breathing and coughing techniques
- D. Oral antibiotic therapy after discharge home
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Preoperative teaching, demonstration, and redemonstration of deep breathing and coughing are needed on patients having abdominal surgery to prevent postoperative atelectasis. Incisional care and the importance of completing antibiotics are better discussed after surgery, when the patient will be more likely to retain this information. The patient does not usually need information about medications that are used intraoperatively.
The clinic nurse is reviewing the complete blood cell count (CBC) results for a patient who is scheduled for surgery in a few days. The results are white blood cell count (WBC) 10.2 ?? 10/1, hemoglobin 150 g/1, hematocrit 45%, platelets 150 ?? 10/1. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
- A. Send the CBC results to the surgery facility.
- B. Call the surgeon and anaesthesiologist immediately.
- C. Ask the patient about any symptoms of a recent infection.
- D. Discuss the possibility of blood transfusion with the patient.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The nurse should be sure that the CBC results, which are normal, are available at the surgical facility to avoid delay of the procedure. With normal results, there is no need to notify the surgeon or anaesthesiologist, discuss blood transfusion, or ask about recent infection.
The nurse is completing a preoperative assessment of a patient scheduled for a colon resection and the patient tells the nurse about using St. John's wort to prevent depression. Which of the following information should the nurse alert the staff in the postanaesthesia recovery area about?
- A. Increased pain
- B. Hypertensive episodes
- C. Increased postanaesthesia waking time
- D. Increased postoperative bleeding
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: St. John's wort may prolong the effects of anaesthetic agents and increase the time to waken completely after surgery. It is not associated with increased bleeding risk, hypertension, or increased pain.
The nurse is conducting a preoperative interview with a patient who is scheduled for an elective hysterectomy and the patient tells the nurse, 'I am afraid that I will die in surgery like my mother did!' Which of the following responses by the nurse is most appropriate?
- A. Tell me more about what happened to your mother.
- B. You will receive medications to reduce your anxiety.
- C. You should talk to the doctor again about the surgery.
- D. Surgical techniques have improved a lot in recent years.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The patient's statement may indicate an unusually high anxiety level or a family history of problems such as malignant hyperthermia, which will require precautions during surgery. The other statements also may address the patient's concerns, but further assessment is needed first.