HESI PN Exit Exam Related

Review HESI PN Exit Exam related questions and content

Which intervention is most appropriate when caring for a patient experiencing a tonic-clonic seizure?

  • A. Restrain the patient to prevent injury
  • B. Place a tongue depressor in the patient's mouth
  • C. Turn the patient to the side to maintain an open airway
  • D. Attempt to stop the seizure by holding the patient's arms
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: During a tonic-clonic seizure, the priority is to ensure patient safety by maintaining an open airway to prevent aspiration. Turning the patient to the side helps achieve this goal by allowing any fluids to drain out of the mouth, reducing the risk of choking or aspiration. Restraint can lead to injury, placing a tongue depressor can cause harm or obstruct the airway further, and attempting to stop the seizure by holding the patient's arms is ineffective and can also result in injury. Therefore, the most appropriate intervention is to turn the patient to the side.