HESI LPN
Adult Health Exam 1
1. A client has a prescription for a Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulator (TENS) unit for pain management during the postoperative period following a Lumbar Laminectomy. What information should the nurse reinforce about the action of this adjuvant pain modality?
- A. Mild electrical stimulus on the skin surface closes the gates of nerve conduction for severe pain
- B. Pain perception in the cerebral cortex is dulled by the unit's discharge of an electrical stimulus
- C. An infusion of medication in the spinal canal will block pain perception
- D. The discharge of electricity will distract the client's focus on the pain
Correct answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A. TENS units work by delivering small electrical impulses through the skin. These impulses are thought to close the 'gates of nerve conduction,' which can help in managing severe pain. Choice B is incorrect because the dulled pain perception does not occur in the cerebral cortex by the TENS unit. Choice C is incorrect as it describes a different method of pain management involving medication in the spinal canal. Choice D is incorrect because TENS does not work by distracting the client's focus on pain, but rather by altering pain perception through electrical impulses.
2. The nurse is caring for a client who has just returned from surgery with an indwelling urinary catheter in place. What is the most important assessment for the nurse to make?
- A. Check for catheter patency
- B. Assess the color of the urine
- C. Measure the urine output
- D. Ensure the catheter tubing is secure
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The most important assessment for the nurse to make in this situation is to measure the urine output. This assessment is crucial in monitoring kidney function and fluid balance after surgery. While checking for catheter patency is important, it is not as critical as measuring urine output. Assessing the color of the urine can provide some information about kidney function, but measuring output gives a more accurate assessment. Ensuring the catheter tubing is secure is essential to prevent dislodgement but is not the most critical assessment to make at this time.
3. Which client assessment falls within the scope of practice for the practical nurse?
- A. An agitated client with bilateral wrist restraints
- B. New admission of a client with deep vein thrombosis
- C. Return of a post-anesthesia client following a colon resection
- D. Transfer of a client with sepsis from a long-term care facility
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because assessing a new deep vein thrombosis (DVT) patient is within the scope of practical nursing. It involves monitoring and supporting the circulatory system health, which is a common responsibility for practical nurses. Choices A, C, and D involve scenarios that are typically beyond the initial assessment and care provided by practical nurses. An agitated client with bilateral wrist restraints may require immediate intervention by higher-level healthcare providers due to safety concerns and potential underlying issues. The return of a post-anesthesia client following a colon resection and the transfer of a client with sepsis involve more specialized care that goes beyond the typical responsibilities of a practical nurse, often requiring interventions from registered nurses or physicians.
4. What action should the nurse implement in caring for a client following an electroencephalogram (EEG)?
- A. Monitor the client's vital signs every 4 hours
- B. Assess the client's lower extremities for sensation
- C. Instruct the client to maintain bed rest
- D. Wash any paste from the client's hair and scalp
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct action the nurse should implement after an EEG is to wash any paste from the client's hair and scalp. This is crucial to prevent irritation and infection at the EEG site. Monitoring vital signs every 4 hours is not specifically indicated after an EEG. Assessing the client's lower extremities for sensation is unrelated to caring for a client post-EEG. While rest may be recommended after the procedure, there is no standard requirement for a specific duration of bed rest.
5. 4 hours after administration of 20U of regular insulin, the client becomes shaky and diaphoretic. What action should the nurse take?
- A. Encourage the client to eat crackers and milk
- B. Administer a PRN dose of 10U of regular insulin
- C. Give the client crackers and milk
- D. Record the client's reaction in the diabetic flow sheet
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take when a client becomes shaky and diaphoretic after insulin administration, indicating hypoglycemia, is to provide the client with carbohydrates like crackers and milk. Carbohydrates help raise blood glucose levels quickly. Encouraging the client to eat crackers and milk (Choice A) is the appropriate immediate action to address the hypoglycemia. Administering more insulin (Choice B) would worsen hypoglycemia, and recording the reaction (Choice D) is important but not the immediate action needed to treat the hypoglycemia.
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