During the evaluation of the quality of home care for a client with Alzheimer's disease, the priority for the nurse is to reinforce which statement by a family member?
- A. "At least two (2) full meals a day are eaten."?
- B. "We go to a group discussion every week at our community center."?
- C. "We have safety bars installed in the bathroom and have 24-hour alarms on the doors."?
- D. "The medication is not a problem to have taken three (3) times a day."?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is, '"We have safety bars installed in the bathroom and have 24-hour alarms on the doors."?' Ensuring the safety of a client with Alzheimer's disease is crucial in home care. Installing safety features like bars in the bathroom and alarms on doors help prevent accidents and injuries. This contributes to creating a safe environment that promotes independence and autonomy for the client. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because while they are important aspects of care, ensuring safety in the home environment takes precedence in caring for a client with Alzheimer's disease.
You may also like to solve these questions
You are preparing to admit a patient with a seizure disorder. Which of the following actions can you delegate to an LPN/LVN?
- A. Complete admission assessment.
- B. Set up oxygen and suction equipment.
- C. Place a padded tongue blade at the bedside.
- D. Pad the side rails before the patient arrives.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is to delegate the task of setting up oxygen and suction equipment to the LPN/LVN. This task falls within their scope of practice and can be safely performed by them. Completing the admission assessment (Choice A) typically requires a higher level of assessment and critical thinking, making it more appropriate for a registered nurse. Placing a padded tongue blade at the bedside (Choice C) involves potential airway management, which is a more complex task and should be done by a higher-level provider. Padding the side rails before the patient arrives (Choice D) is a task related to patient safety and should be done by the healthcare team as a whole, not solely delegated to an LPN/LVN.
Which technique is correct when assessing the radial pulse of a patient?
- A. Palpate for 1 minute if the rhythm is irregular.
- B. Palpate for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 if the rhythm is regular.
- C. Palpate for 2 full minutes to detect any variation in amplitude.
- D. Palpate for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 if the rhythm is regular and the patient has no history of cardiac abnormalities.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When assessing the radial pulse, if the rhythm is irregular, the pulse should be counted for a full minute to get an accurate representation of the pulse rate. In cases where the rhythm is regular, the recommended technique is to palpate for 15 seconds and then multiply by 4 to calculate the beats per minute. This method is more accurate and efficient for normal or rapid heart rates. Palpating for 30 seconds and multiplying by 2 is not as effective, as any error in counting results in a larger discrepancy in the calculated heart rate. Palpating for 2 full minutes is excessive and not necessary for routine pulse assessment. Palpating for 10 seconds and multiplying by 6 is not a standard technique and may lead to inaccuracies, especially in patients with cardiac abnormalities.
Which of these actions illustrates the correct technique for a nurse when assessing oral temperature with a glass thermometer?
- A. Wait 30 minutes if the patient has ingested hot or iced liquids.
- B. Leave the thermometer in place for 3 to 4 minutes if the patient is afebrile.
- C. Shake the glass thermometer down to 35.5°C before taking the patient's temperature.
- D. Place the thermometer at the base of the tongue and ask the patient to close his or her lips.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct technique for assessing oral temperature with a glass thermometer involves leaving the thermometer in place for 3 to 4 minutes if the patient is afebrile and up to 8 minutes if the patient is febrile. Waiting 30 minutes if the patient has ingested hot or iced liquids is incorrect; instead, the nurse should wait 15 minutes in such cases. Shaking the glass thermometer down to 35.5°C, not 37.5°C, is the correct procedure before taking the patient's temperature. Placing the thermometer at the base of the tongue, not the front, and asking the patient to close their lips is the proper way to position the thermometer. Therefore, the correct answer is to leave the thermometer in place for 3 to 4 minutes if the patient is afebrile and up to 8 minutes if the patient is febrile.
When assessing the pulse of a 6-year-old patient, the nurse notices that the heart rate varies with the respiratory cycle, speeding up at the peak of inspiration and slowing to normal with expiration. What action would the nurse take next?
- A. Notify the physician.
- B. Record this finding as normal.
- C. Check the child's blood pressure and note any variation with respiration.
- D. Document that this child has bradycardia and continue with the assessment.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take next is to record this finding as normal. Sinus dysrhythmia, characterized by heart rate variation with the respiratory cycle, is commonly found in children and young adults. The heart rate speeds up at the peak of inspiration and slows to normal with expiration. This phenomenon is a normal variant and does not require any intervention. There is no need to notify the physician as this finding is within the expected range for this age group. Checking the child's blood pressure for variations with respiration or documenting the child as having bradycardia would not be appropriate in this case, as sinus dysrhythmia is a normal physiological response.
When counting an infant's respirations, which technique is correct?
- A. Watching the chest rise and fall
- B. Observing the movement of the abdomen
- C. Placing a hand across the infant's chest
- D. Using a stethoscope to listen to the breath sounds
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct technique for counting an infant's respirations is to observe the movement of the abdomen. Infants typically have more diaphragmatic breathing than thoracic, so watching the abdomen provides a more accurate count. Placing a hand on the chest or listening with a stethoscope can alter the infant's breathing pattern and provide inaccurate results. Therefore, options A, C, and D are incorrect methods for counting an infant's respirations. By observing the movement of the abdomen, healthcare providers can accurately assess an infant's respiratory rate without influencing their breathing pattern.