Nokea
The nurse in the emergency room is admitting a client who has sustained a gunshot wound and will require immediate surgery. The client is unconscious and by themselves. Which of the following actions is most appropriate?
- A. Call the charge nurse and request that the facility's legal counsel provide a waiver for informed consent.
- B. Attempt to stabilize the client in the emergency room until they are conscious enough to provide informed consent.
- C. Try to locate the client's family to obtain informed consent before transporting the client to the operating room.
- D. Proceed with transporting the client to the operating room without obtaining informed consent.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In emergency situations where a client is unconscious and requires immediate surgery to save their life, the priority is to proceed with necessary interventions without delay to ensure the best possible outcome. Obtaining informed consent is essential in healthcare, but in situations where a delay in treatment can be life-threatening, healthcare providers are ethically and legally permitted to proceed with treatment without consent. Attempting to stabilize the client until conscious enough to provide consent or trying to locate family members for consent would cause a dangerous delay in critical care. Therefore, the most appropriate action in this scenario is to transport the unconscious client to the operating room for immediate surgery.
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While on the wound care team, the nurse notices that a fellow nurse opens extra colloid dressings that are often thrown away when they are not needed. What should the nurse do?
- A. Do nothing, as it is not impacting client care.
- B. Discuss with the colleague the concern about wasting supplies.
- C. Tell the charge nurse to stop ordering these dressings.
- D. Remove the colloid dressings from the shelf so that the nurse will find other supplies to use.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is to discuss with the colleague the concern about wasting supplies. By addressing this issue, the nurse can promote cost-effective care within the unit. While it may not directly impact client care, the wastage of supplies affects the unit's supply cost, making choice A incorrect. Choice C is incorrect as it assumes the charge nurse is solely responsible for the ordering process and overlooks the opportunity for direct communication between colleagues. Choice D is incorrect as it involves taking matters into one's own hands rather than addressing the issue through communication and collaboration.
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.
A health care provider informs a nurse that the husband of an unconscious client with terminal cancer will not grant permission for a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. The health care provider tells the nurse to perform a 'slow code' and let the client 'rest in peace' if she stops breathing. How should the nurse respond?
- A. Telling the health care provider that the client would probably want to die in peace
- B. Telling the health care provider that if the client stops breathing, the health care provider will be called before any other actions are taken
- C. Telling the health care provider that all of the nurses on the unit agree with this plan
- D. Telling the health care provider that 'slow codes' are not acceptable
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse may not violate a family's request regarding the client's treatment plan. A 'slow code' is not acceptable, and the nurse should state this to the health care provider. The definition of a 'slow code' varies among health care facilities and personnel and could be interpreted as not performing resuscitative procedures as quickly as a competent person would. Resuscitative procedures that are performed more slowly than recommended by the American Heart Association are below the standard of care and could therefore serve as the basis for a lawsuit. The other options are inappropriate: Option A is speculative and does not address the issue directly; Option B does not challenge the unethical practice of a 'slow code'; Option C is irrelevant and does not address the ethical concerns raised by the health care provider's request.
Which of the following is not an advanced directive?
- A. informed consent
- B. living will
- C. durable power of attorney for health care
- D. health care proxy
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Informed consent is the process of obtaining permission from a patient before conducting a healthcare intervention. It is not considered an advanced directive. A living will is a legal document that outlines a person's preferences for medical treatment if they are unable to communicate. A durable power of attorney for health care designates a person to make medical decisions on behalf of the patient. A health care proxy, which is another term for a durable power of attorney for health care, also involves appointing someone to make healthcare decisions for an individual if they become unable to do so. Therefore, the correct answer is 'informed consent,' as it is not an advanced directive but rather a different aspect of patient care.
Which is the correct order regarding the hierarchy of members of the nursing team from least authority to highest authority?
- A. LPN, staff nurse, charge nurse, nurse manager
- B. Staff nurse, LPN, nurse manager, charge nurse
- C. LPN, staff nurse, charge nurse, nurse manager
- D. LPN, staff nurse, charge nurse, nurse manager
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct hierarchy order from least to highest authority in the nursing team is LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse), staff nurse, charge nurse, and nurse manager. LPNs have the least authority, followed by staff nurses who are supervised by charge nurses. Nurse managers oversee the charge nurses, making them the highest authority in this hierarchy. Therefore, choices A, B, and D are incorrect as they do not follow the correct order of authority within the nursing team.