Nurses' Notes
Vital Signs
Laboratory Results
Provider Prescriptions
Day 1, 1000:
The client reports mid abdominal pain. Client reports pain as 7 on a scale of 0 to 10. The client states, "I haven't had a bowel movement in 4 days." The client states, "I also have vomited once or twice."
Physical Exam:
General: uncomfortable, grimacing
HEENT: dry mucous membranes
Cardiovascular: S1, S2, no murmur
Respiratory: bilateral breath sounds clear
Gastrointestinal: tenderness to palpation, high-pitched bowel sounds
Skin: no jaundice noted
Which of the following actions should the nurse assist with?
- A. Start the prescribed antibiotic
- B. Discontinue nasogastric tube
- C. Reinforce preoperative teaching
- D. Provide the client with ice chips
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Reinforcing preoperative teaching is appropriate given the potential need for surgery due to suspected bowel obstruction, as indicated by symptoms.
You may also like to solve these questions
A nurse at a rehabilitation facility is contributing to the plan of care for a client who has had a below-the-knee amputation. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include in the plan of care?
- A. Restrict visitors to family members until the client is able to wear a prosthesis.
- B. Encourage the client to talk with another client who completed rehabilitation for amputation.
- C. Instruct the client to ignore phantom pain sensations.
- D. Suggest that family members bring clothing for the client from home.
- E. Ask the client to describe her feelings about the loss of the affected limb.
Correct Answer: B,D,E
Rationale: Peer support, familiar clothing, and addressing feelings promote psychological adjustment and rehabilitation; restricting visitors or ignoring phantom pain is not therapeutic.
A nurse is assisting with the plan of care for a client who has aspiration pneumonia and hypoxia. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?
- A. Initiate fall precautions.
- B. Apply petroleum jelly to the client's nares.
- C. Implement contact precautions.
- D. Maintain the client in a supine position.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Hypoxia increases fall risk due to weakness or confusion, making fall precautions essential in aspiration pneumonia care.
A nurse is caring for a client who is 6 hr postoperative following a bowel resection. Which of the following findings is the priority for the nurse to report?
- A. The client arouses easily but quickly falls back asleep.
- B. There is 20 mL of dark red drainage from the wound drainage device over the past 4 hr.
- C. There is 60 mL of dark yellow urine from the indwelling urinary catheter over the past 4 hr.
- D. The client reports a pain level of 6 on a scale from 0 to 10 at the incision site.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Difficulty staying awake 6 hours post-op suggests potential respiratory depression or neurological issues, a priority to report.
A nurse is collecting data from a client about her current pain status. Which of the following questions should the nurse ask to determine the quality of the client's pain?
- A. Do you have any pain this morning?
- B. Is your pain the same as it has been?
- C. Could you rate your pain on a scale from 0 to 10?
- D. What does your pain feel like?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Asking 'What does your pain feel like?' assesses the quality (e.g., sharp, dull), a key component of pain assessment.
A nurse is assisting with the transfer of a client from a medical-surgical unit to an intensive care unit following a change in status. Which of the following information should the nurse include in the transfer documentation?
- A. Current medication prescriptions
- B. Primary health problem
- C. Number of family members who have visited
- D. Admission vital signs from 1 week ago
- E. Scheduled times for dressing changes
Correct Answer: A,B,E
Rationale: Medications, primary problem, and dressing schedules are critical for continuity of care in the ICU; family visits and old vital signs are less relevant.
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