ATI RN
RN ATI Capstone Proctored Comprehensive Assessment A
1. A nurse is preparing to administer a high dose of morphine to a patient with terminal cancer. What is the nurse's primary consideration before administration?
- A. Ensure the family is aware of the dosage to be administered.
- B. Monitor the patient for respiratory depression.
- C. Administer the morphine in divided doses.
- D. Delay administration until the next assessment.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Monitor the patient for respiratory depression. When administering a high dose of morphine, the nurse's primary consideration should be to monitor the patient for respiratory depression, as morphine can slow down breathing, especially in higher doses. Option A is incorrect because the primary focus should be on the patient's well-being and safety rather than family awareness at this point. Option C is not the best approach as the immediate concern is monitoring the patient closely for any adverse effects. Option D is not advisable as delaying administration without a valid reason can compromise pain management in a terminal cancer patient.
2. After surgery, a patient is experiencing pain. What is the nurse's priority action?
- A. Administer pain medication as prescribed.
- B. Assess the patient's pain using a pain scale.
- C. Offer the patient non-pharmacological pain relief methods.
- D. Reassess the patient's pain level after 30 minutes.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is to assess the patient's pain using a pain scale. This is the priority action because it allows the nurse to obtain an objective measure of the patient's pain intensity. By accurately assessing the pain level, the nurse can determine the appropriate intervention, which may include administering pain medication as prescribed (choice A) or offering non-pharmacological pain relief methods (choice C). Reassessing the patient's pain level after 30 minutes (choice D) is important but comes after the initial assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions implemented.
3. A nurse sees a healthcare provider administer an incorrect medication dose but does not report the error. What should the nurse do first?
- A. Ignore the situation and continue with patient care.
- B. Report the error to the nurse manager immediately.
- C. Speak to the healthcare provider directly about the error.
- D. File an anonymous report to avoid conflict.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: When a nurse witnesses a healthcare provider administering an incorrect medication dose, the first step should be to report the error to the nurse manager immediately. Reporting medication errors is crucial for patient safety as it allows prompt intervention to prevent harm. Choice A is incorrect as ignoring the situation can jeopardize patient safety. Choice C, while addressing the error directly, may not ensure proper documentation and follow-up. Choice D, filing an anonymous report, is not as effective as directly informing the nurse manager who can take appropriate action and follow-up on the incident.
4. A health care provider asks the nurse to administer a medication with a dosage significantly higher than usual. What is the nurse's first action?
- A. Administer the medication as ordered.
- B. Question the provider and verify the dose.
- C. Administer half the dosage as a precaution.
- D. Refuse to administer the medication without clarification.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: When a health care provider orders a medication with a dosage significantly higher than usual, the nurse's initial action should be to question the provider and verify the dose. This is crucial to ensure patient safety and prevent medication errors. Administering the medication as ordered (Choice A) without clarification could potentially harm the patient if there was an error in the prescription. Administering half the dosage as a precaution (Choice C) is not a safe practice as it deviates from the prescribed order. Refusing to administer the medication without clarification (Choice D) is important, but the first step should be to seek clarification from the provider to prevent any unnecessary delays in patient care.
5. A patient is receiving an opioid analgesic for pain management. What is the most important assessment for the nurse to perform?
- A. Monitor the patient's blood pressure.
- B. Assess the patient's respiratory rate.
- C. Monitor the patient's oxygen saturation.
- D. Assess the patient's heart rate.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is to assess the patient's respiratory rate. When a patient is receiving opioids, it is crucial to monitor their respiratory rate as opioids can depress the respiratory system, leading to respiratory depression and potential respiratory failure. Monitoring blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and heart rate are important assessments as well, but the priority lies in assessing respiratory rate due to the risk of respiratory depression associated with opioid use.
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