What is the most important step that healthcare personnel can take to prevent the transmission of microorganisms in the hospital setting?
- A. Wear protective eyewear at all times.
- B. Wear gloves whenever in direct contact with patients.
- C. Wash hands before and after contact with each patient.
- D. Clean the stethoscope with an alcohol swab between patients.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The most crucial step in preventing the transmission of microorganisms in the hospital setting is proper hand hygiene. Healthcare personnel should wash their hands thoroughly before and after each patient contact to reduce the risk of spreading infections. While cleaning the stethoscope with an alcohol swab between patients is recommended, it is secondary to hand hygiene. Wearing protective eyewear at all times is not necessary for routine patient care unless specifically indicated, and wearing gloves only when in direct contact with patients is important but not as critical as proper handwashing. Therefore, the correct answer is to wash hands before and after contact with each patient.
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After receiving change-of-shift report, which patient should the nurse assess first?
- A. A patient with pneumonia who has crackles in the right lung base
- B. A patient with possible lung cancer who has just returned after bronchoscopy
- C. A patient with hemoptysis and a 16-mm induration with tuberculin skin testing
- D. A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pulmonary function testing (PFT) that indicates low forced vital capacity
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is the patient with possible lung cancer who has just returned after bronchoscopy. After bronchoscopy, the patient may have decreased cough and gag reflexes, necessitating immediate assessment for airway patency to prevent potential complications. The other patients do not exhibit urgent clinical manifestations or have undergone recent procedures that require immediate attention. Therefore, they can be assessed after ensuring the safety and stability of the patient who has just returned after bronchoscopy.
After a class on culture and ethnicity, the new graduate nurse reflects a correct understanding of the concept of ethnicity with which statement?
- A. "Ethnicity is dynamic and ever-changing."?
- B. "Ethnicity is the belief in a higher power."?
- C. "Ethnicity pertains to a social group that may possess shared traits such as religion and language."?
- D. "Ethnicity is learned from birth through the processes of language acquisition and socialization."?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Ethnicity pertains to a social group that may possess shared traits such as common geographic origin, migratory status, religion, language, values, traditions, or symbols and food preferences. Culture is dynamic, ever-changing, and learned from birth through the processes of language acquisition and socialization. Religion is the belief in a higher power. Ethnicity pertains to a social group within the social system that claims to have variable traits, such as a common geographic origin, migratory status, religion, race, language, values, traditions, symbols, or food preferences.
An experienced healthcare professional instructs a new colleague on caring for a patient with dyspnea due to a pulmonary fungal infection. Which action by the new colleague indicates a need for further teaching?
- A. Listening to the patient's lung sounds several times during the shift
- B. Placing the patient in droplet precautions and in a private hospital room
- C. Increasing the oxygen flow rate to maintain oxygen saturation above 90%
- D. Monitoring the patient's serology results to identify the specific infecting organism
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is placing the patient in droplet precautions and in a private hospital room. Fungal infections are not transmitted from person to person, so isolation procedures like droplet precautions are unnecessary. Listening to the patient's lung sounds, increasing the oxygen flow rate, and monitoring serology results are all appropriate actions in caring for a patient with dyspnea caused by a pulmonary fungal infection.
When providing culturally competent care, nurses must incorporate cultural assessments into their health assessments. Which statement is most appropriate to use when initiating an assessment of cultural beliefs with an older American Indian patient?
- A. "Are you of the Christian faith?"?
- B. "Do you want to see a medicine man?"?
- C. "How often do you seek help from medical providers?"?
- D. "What cultural or spiritual beliefs are important to you?"?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse needs to assess the cultural beliefs and practices of the patient and should ask questions in a way that communicates acceptance of their beliefs and allows for open communication. Therefore, the most appropriate question to initiate an assessment of cultural beliefs with an older American Indian patient is "What cultural or spiritual beliefs are important to you?"? This question shows respect for the patient's beliefs and encourages them to share relevant information. Asking if they are of the Christian faith does not promote open communication and may not reflect the patient's actual beliefs. While some American Indians may seek assistance from a medicine man or shaman, it is not appropriate to make assumptions without direct input from the patient. Asking how often they seek help from medical providers is not directly related to understanding their cultural beliefs and may not provide relevant insights for culturally competent care.
During a seminar on cultural aspects of nursing, the nurse recognizes that the definition stating, "the specific and distinct knowledge, beliefs, customs, and skills acquired by members of a society,"? reflects which term?
- A. Norms
- B. Culture
- C. Ethnicity
- D. Assimilation
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The term that best fits the provided definition, which includes knowledge, beliefs, customs, and skills acquired by members of a society, is 'Culture.' Culture is a broad concept encompassing various aspects of a society's way of life. Norms refer to typical behaviors or rules within a society. Ethnicity pertains to shared traits among a social group, such as origin, religion, language, and traditions. Assimilation involves adopting the dominant culture's characteristics, often through integration or conformity.