The drainage in the chest tube of a client with emphysema has changed from viscous green to clear watery fluid. Which action is best for the nurse to take?
- A. Schedule a portable chest x-ray per PRN protocol.
- B. Maintain the current IV antibiotic schedule.
- C. Obtain a specimen of the drainage for culture.
- D. Milk' the tube to remove any clots.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A culture of the changed drainage assesses for infection or other causes, prioritizing over imaging, antibiotics, or tube manipulation.
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A client with coronary artery disease is hospitalized with unstable angina. To reduce cardiac workload, which intervention should the nurse include in the client's plan of care?
- A. Encourage active range of motion exercises.
- B. Assist with ambulation in the hallway.
- C. Provide a bedside commode for toileting.
- D. Teach to sleep in a side lying position.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A bedside commode minimizes physical exertion, reducing cardiac workload in unstable angina.
A client with pancreatitis is receiving 0.9% normal saline, and the prescribed IV infusion rate was increased from 100 mL/hour to 150 mL/hour. Which assessment finding indicates to the nurse that the prescription has a therapeutic outcome?
- A. An increase in the hematocrit (HCT) from 42% (0.42 volume fraction) to 52% (0.52 volume fraction).
- B. An increase in the blood glucose level from 130 mg/dl. (7.22 mmol/L).
- C. A decrease in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) from 36 mg/dL (12.9 mmol/L) to 23 mg/dL (8.21 mmol/L).
- D. A decrease in serum amylase from 24 units/dl (240 units) to 12 units/dl. (120 units/L);
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A decrease in BUN indicates improved renal perfusion, a therapeutic outcome of increased IV fluids. Increased hematocrit suggests fluid volume deficit, increased blood glucose is undesirable, and amylase decrease is not directly related to fluid increase.
History and Physical
Nurses' Notes
Orders
Imaging Studies
The client is a young male who appears to be 25 to 30 years old. He was found unconscious on a sidewalk by a jogger who was passing by. The jogger called an ambulance, and the emergency medical technicians (EMTS) transported the client to the hospital. The client is arousable but unable to say what his name is or what happened to him. A STAT head computed tomography (CT) scan in the emergency department showed no abnormalities, so the client will be admitted to the medical floor for observation and further tests.
Exhibits
The nurse comes into the room to replace the IV bag and notices the client's extremities are jerking violently. The client is not arousable and the oxygen saturation is 59% on the monitor.
Based on the information collected, the client is likely experiencing [condition] related to [cause].
- A. Increased intracranial pressure
- B. Brain herniation
- C. Hypoxia
- D. Hypercapnia
- E. Absence seizure
- F. Decorticate posturing
- G. Tonic clonic seizure
Correct Answer: C,F
Rationale: Hypoxia from a tonic-clonic seizure causes low oxygen saturation and jerking movements, requiring urgent intervention.
An adult client is admitted to the medical unit due to rectal bleeding after a colonoscopy in which a polyp was biopsied and cauterized. Which Intervention should the nurse do first?
- A. Palpate all peripheral pulses in the extremities.
- B. Encourage cough and deep breathing exercises.
- C. Complete a focused assessment of the abdomen.
- D. Initiate measurement of fluid intake and output.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A focused abdominal assessment determines the severity of bleeding and guides further interventions, prioritizing over pulses, respiratory exercises, or fluid monitoring.
The nurse assists a client with Parkinson's disease (PD) to ambulate in the hallway. The client appears to 'freeze' and then carefully lifts one leg and steps forward. The client tells the nurse of pretending to step over a crack on the floor. How should the nurse respond?
- A. Plan to assess the client's cognition after returning to his room.
- B. Confirm that this is an effective technique to help with ambulation.
- C. Reorient the client to his present location and circumstances.
- D. Assist the client to a carpeted area where he can walk more easily.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Pretending to step over an object is a known technique to manage freezing in Parkinson's, aiding ambulation.
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