The LPN notices a client with poor gait and balance. She is currently being treated for hypertension, but the nurse is concerned. What should the nurse do?
- A. Add this issue to the nursing care plan and include daily gait/balance training as an intervention.
- B. Do nothing as this is unrelated to the client's hospitalization.
- C. Speak with the attending physician about the concerns and request a referral for the client to go to physical therapy.
- D. Speak with the attending physician about the concerns and request a referral to physical therapy.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Nurses should address any concerns regarding a client's health, even if they are not directly related to the reason for hospitalization. In this case, the nurse noticing the client's poor gait and balance should communicate these concerns to the attending physician. The correct course of action is to request a referral to physical therapy, as this specialized intervention can help address the client's issues effectively. Adding gait/balance training to the care plan without professional assessment and intervention may not be appropriate. Doing nothing is not in line with providing comprehensive care, and referring the client to the hospital gym is not as effective as a referral to physical therapy for addressing gait and balance issues.
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A nurse calls a health care provider to question a prescription written for a higher-than-normal dosage of morphine sulfate. The health care provider changes the prescription to a dosage within the normal range, and the nurse documents the new telephone prescription in accordance with the agency's guidelines in the client's record. Which other statement does the nurse document in the nursing notes?
- A. The health care provider made a mistake in the written prescription for morphine sulfate.
- B. An inaccurate dosage of morphine sulfate was prescribed and the health care provider was informed.
- C. The health care provider was contacted to correct a mistake in the dosage of morphine sulfate.
- D. The health care provider was contacted to clarify the prescription for morphine sulfate
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse needs to document a factual, descriptive, and objective statement that does not include words indicating that an individual made a mistake or performed an incorrect action or procedure. If a health care provider's prescription must be questioned, the nurse should record that clarification regarding the prescription was sought. Therefore, the correct statement to document is that the health care provider was contacted to clarify the prescription for morphine sulfate. Choices A, B, and C imply errors or mistakes on the part of the health care provider, which is not the focus of the documentation in this scenario.
While taking care of a client, the nurse thinks that physical therapy in the hospital might be beneficial to their condition. The following is the ideal referral process EXCEPT?
- A. Transport the client to the physical therapy room for treatment after receiving an official referral.
- B. Provide the physical therapist with the client's medical record after the referral.
- C. Contact the client's primary care provider to suggest a physical therapy referral.
- D. Request the client to self-refer to the physical therapist.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The ideal referral process for a client to receive physical therapy in the hospital starts with the nurse contacting the client's primary care provider to discuss and suggest a physical therapy referral. The primary care provider should provide an official referral, which is crucial for initiating the treatment process. After obtaining the official referral, the nurse should provide the physical therapist with the client's medical record. This step is essential for the therapist to assess the client's condition and customize the treatment plan accordingly. Once the physical therapist is informed and prepared, the nurse can then transport the client to the physical therapy room for treatment. Therefore, the correct sequence is to first contact the primary care provider (Choice C), then provide the medical record (Choice B), and finally transport the client for treatment (Choice A). Choice D, suggesting the client self-refer to the physical therapist, is incorrect as the referral process should involve healthcare professionals to ensure proper assessment and treatment planning.
Which of the following scenarios are considered violations of HIPAA laws?
- A. Discussing discharge plans with a client in a multi-bed recovery room with the curtain drawn around the client's bed.
- B. Looking up the medical information of a friend without permission.
- C. Checking on your spouse's medical record because you are listed as her power of attorney.
- D. Avoiding conversations about clients while in line in the cafeteria with a mutual caregiver of that client.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Scenarios B and C are considered violations of HIPAA laws. Looking up the medical information of a friend who is not in your care, even with permission, is a violation of HIPAA as the friend is not your patient. Checking on your spouse's medical record, even as a power of attorney, is a violation unless it is directly related to caregiving decisions.
Discussing discharge plans with a client in a multi-bed recovery room with the curtain drawn around the client's bed is not a violation of HIPAA. This scenario is considered an 'incidental disclosure' and is not a breach of HIPAA privacy rules. Avoiding conversations about clients while in line in the cafeteria with a mutual caregiver of that client is actually a good practice as it maintains client confidentiality.
A test that can correctly identify those who do not have a given disease is:
- A. specific.
- B. sensitive.
- C. negative culture.
- D. marginal finding.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is 'specific.' A specific test correctly identifies individuals who do not have a particular disease. In this case, since the lab culture report is negative for the suspected infection, it means the test is good at ruling out the disease. 'Sensitive' (choice B) would be incorrect as sensitivity refers to a test's ability to correctly identify individuals who do have the disease. 'Negative culture' (choice C) is incorrect as it describes the result rather than the test's characteristic. 'Marginal finding' (choice D) is unrelated to the concept of correctly identifying individuals without the disease.
A nurse on the night shift is making client rounds. When the nurse checks a client who is 97 years old and has successfully been treated for heart failure, he notes that the client is not breathing. If the client does not have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, the nurse should take which action?
- A. Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
- B. Call the client's health care provider
- C. Administer oxygen to the client and call the health care provider
- D. Contact the nursing supervisor for directions
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the appropriate action when a client is not breathing and does not have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. CPR is considered an emergency treatment that can be provided without client consent in life-threatening situations. Calling the health care provider or nursing supervisor for directions, as well as administering oxygen without addressing the lack of breathing, would delay critical life-saving interventions. Therefore, administering CPR is the most urgent and necessary action to perform in this scenario.