When assignments are being made for clients with alterations related to gastrointestinal (GI) cancer, which client would be the most appropriate to delegate to an LPN/LVN?
- A. A client with severe anemia secondary to GI bleeding
- B. A client who needs enemas and antibiotics to control GI bacteria
- C. A client who needs preoperative teaching for bowel resection surgery
- D. A client who needs central line insertion for chemotherapy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Delegating in GI cancer care hinges on scope LPN/LVNs handle routine tasks like administering enemas and antibiotics, a straightforward intervention to curb bacteria, fitting their training under RN oversight. Severe anemia from bleeding demands RN assessment for stability or transfusion, beyond LPN scope. Preoperative teaching requires detailed education and evaluation, an RN's domain. Central line insertion involves advanced skills and risks, reserved for RNs or specialists. Enemas and antibiotics align with LPN/LVN capabilities, optimizing team roles while keeping complex care with RNs, a practical choice in managing GI cancer's multifaceted needs safely and efficiently.
You may also like to solve these questions
The nurse teaches a patient who is scheduled for a prostate needle biopsy about the procedure. Which statement, if made by the patient, indicates that teaching was effective?
- A. The biopsy will remove the cancer in my prostate gland.
- B. The biopsy will determine how much longer I have to live.
- C. The biopsy will help decide the treatment for my enlarged prostate.
- D. The biopsy will indicate whether the cancer has spread to other organs.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Prostate biopsy snags tissue to check if enlargement's benign (BPH) or malignant guiding treatment like surgery or radiation. It's not therapeutic , doesn't predict lifespan , and staging spread needs more (e.g., scans). Nurses in oncology stress this it's a diagnostic linchpin, setting the course for managing prostate issues, critical for patient buy-in and clarity.
For a patient on the chemotherapeutic drug vincristine (Oncovin), which of the following side effects should be reported to the physician?
- A. Fatigue
- B. Nausea and vomiting
- C. Paresthesia
- D. Anorexia
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Vincristine, a vinca alkaloid, disrupts nerve function, making paresthesia tingling or numbness a critical side effect signaling neurotoxicity, warranting physician review for dose adjustment or cessation. Fatigue, nausea, and anorexia, while common in chemotherapy, are manageable with nursing interventions rest, antiemetics, small meals unless severe. Paresthesia's specificity to vincristine's mechanism, targeting microtubules, elevates its urgency; unchecked, it risks permanent nerve damage, impacting mobility and quality of life. Reporting it ensures timely intervention, distinguishing it from routine effects, a key nursing responsibility in monitoring chemotherapy's narrow therapeutic window.
The home health nurse is performing a home visit for an oncology patient discharged 3 days ago after completing treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The nurse's assessment should include examination for the signs and symptoms of what complication?
- A. Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)
- B. Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH)
- C. Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
- D. Hypercalcemia
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Non-Hodgkin lymphoma's fast cell turnover, plus recent chemo, primes for TLS dead cells dump potassium, phosphorus, and uric acid, risking kidney failure days post-treatment. SIADH (low sodium) and hypercalcemia (bone mets) are less tied to this timeline. DIC's bleeding chaos isn't lymphoma's usual post-chemo hit. Nurses hunt TLS signs fatigue, nausea, arrhythmias knowing it's a fatal oncology curveball if missed early.
A person is 178 cm high and weighs 89 kg. What is his BMI?
- A. 26
- B. 28
- C. 31
- D. 34
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: BMI's weight over height squared 89 kg ÷ (1.78 m × 1.78 m) ≈ 28. Height in meters, simple math, lands between 25 and 30, overweight, not obese. Nurses crunch this daily, a chronic weight watch pegging 28 spot-on.
The home health nurse is caring for a patient who has been receiving interferon therapy for treatment of cancer. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further assessment?
- A. I have frequent muscle aches and pains.'
- B. I rarely have the energy to get out of bed.'
- C. I experience chills after I inject the interferon.'
- D. I take acetaminophen (Tylenol) every 4 hours.'
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Interferon's flu-like hell aches , chills , and Tylenol use are par but crushing fatigue flags dose-limiting toxicity, hinting at overdose or depression. Nurses in oncology dig deeper here rarely out of bed' could mean more than side effects, needing med tweaks or psych consult, critical for home care balance.