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The nurse notes premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) while suctioning a patient’s endotracheal tube. Which action by the nurse is a priority?
- A. Decrease the suction pressure to 80 mm Hg.
- B. Document the dysrhythmia in the patient’s chart.
- C. Stop and ventilate the patient with 100% oxygen.
- D. Give antidysrhythmic medications per protocol.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Stop and ventilate the patient with 100% oxygen. This is the priority action because PVCs can lead to life-threatening arrhythmias and inadequate oxygenation. By stopping suctioning and providing 100% oxygen, the nurse ensures proper oxygenation and ventilation, which takes precedence over addressing the dysrhythmia itself. Decreasing suction pressure (choice A) may not address the underlying issue and could potentially harm the patient. Documenting the dysrhythmia (choice B) is important but not as urgent as ensuring adequate oxygenation. Giving antidysrhythmic medications (choice D) should be done under the direction of a healthcare provider and is not the first-line intervention in this situation.
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A patient is experiencing severe pain, despite receiving pain medication for the past 24 hours. The patients wife expresses concern about this to the nurse. Which response by the nurse would be most empowering to the patients family?
- A. Explain that the doctor is an expert on pain medication and that the current level ofm edication is the best.
- B. Recommend that the family members take turns massaging the patients feet todistract from the pain.
- C. Encourage the family to request that the physician evaluate the patients pain control.
- D. Ask the family to wait another 24 hours to see whether the patients pain level will go down.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because it empowers the family to take action by requesting a physician evaluation of the patient's pain control. This step is crucial in ensuring that the patient's pain is adequately managed. By involving the physician, the family can advocate for the patient's needs and potentially explore alternative pain management strategies.
Choice A is incorrect because it dismisses the family's concerns and fails to address the need for further evaluation. Choice B may provide temporary relief but does not address the underlying issue of inadequate pain control. Choice D is incorrect as it suggests delaying action, which could lead to prolonged suffering for the patient.
A patient who has been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer and has a poor prognosis plans a trip across the country to settle some issues with their siblings. The nurse recognizes that the patient is manifesting which psychosocial response to death?
- A. Restlessness.
- B. Yearning and protest.
- C. Anxiety about unfinished business.
- D. Fear of the meaninglessness of one’s life.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Anxiety about unfinished business. The patient's desire to settle issues with their siblings before death indicates a concern about unresolved matters. This response aligns with the concept of psychosocial responses to death, specifically the need for closure and resolution. Restlessness (choice A) may not necessarily indicate a specific focus on unfinished business. Yearning and protest (choice B) typically refer to the initial stages of grief, not specifically related to settling unresolved issues. Fear of the meaninglessness of one's life (choice D) is more existential and philosophical, whereas the patient's focus here is on addressing specific issues with their siblings.
A patient declared brain dead is an organ donor. The following events occur: 1300 Diagnostic tests for brain death are completed. 1330 primary care provider reviews diagnostic test results and writes in the progress note that the patient is brain deaadb.i r1b.4co0m0/ tePsat tient is taken to the operating room for organ retrieval. 1800 All organs have b een retrieved for donation. The ventilator is discontinued. 1810 Cardiac monitor shows fla tline. What is the official time of death recorded in the medical record?
- A. 1300
- B. 1330
- C. 1400
- D. 1800
Correct Answer: E
Rationale: The correct answer is not provided, but based on the events described, the official time of death recorded in the medical record should be 1810 (Choice D). At this time, the cardiac monitor shows flatline, indicating the cessation of cardiac activity, which is the universally accepted point of declaring death.
Choice A (1300) is incorrect because that is when diagnostic tests for brain death were completed, but the patient was not officially declared dead at that time.
Choice B (1330) is incorrect as this is when the primary care provider reviewed the test results and documented brain death in the progress note, but the patient was not officially declared dead at this time either.
Choice C (1400) is incorrect as there is no significant event occurring at this time that signifies the patient's death.
Therefore, the most appropriate and official time of death recorded in the medical record would be 1810 when the cardiac monitor shows flatline.
A critically ill patient who is intubated and agitated is restrained with soft wrist restraints. Based on research findings, what is the best nursing action?
- A. Maintain the restraints to protect patient safety.
- B. Remove the restraints periodically to check skin integrity.
- C. Remove the restraints periodically for range of motion.
- D. Assess and intervene for causes of agitation. Answer Key
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Assess and intervene for causes of agitation. In a critically ill patient, agitation while intubated could indicate underlying issues like pain, delirium, or inadequate sedation. By assessing and addressing the root cause of agitation, the nurse can improve patient comfort and prevent potential harm from restraints. Removing restraints periodically for skin integrity (B) and range of motion (C) is important but should not be the primary focus when agitation is present. Maintaining restraints (A) without addressing the agitation could lead to increased distress and potential complications.
What is an early signs of the effect of hypoxemia on the nervous system?
- A. Cyanosis
- B. Restlessness
- C. Tachycardia
- D. Tachypnea
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Restlessness. When the body experiences hypoxemia (low oxygen levels), the brain is deprived of oxygen, leading to early signs such as restlessness. This is due to the brain's attempt to increase oxygen intake by increasing activity. Cyanosis (A) is a late sign of hypoxemia when oxygen levels are critically low. Tachycardia (C) and tachypnea (D) are compensatory mechanisms in response to hypoxemia, but they are not early signs affecting the nervous system directly.