HESI RN
HESI RN Exit Exam 2023 Capstone
1. A client is admitted with a large bowel obstruction. What finding should the nurse report immediately?
- A. Absence of bowel sounds in all four quadrants.
- B. Abdominal distention with a firm, rigid abdomen.
- C. Frequent, small, liquid stools.
- D. Nausea and vomiting that worsens after meals.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: Abdominal distention with a firm, rigid abdomen is a concerning sign that may indicate perforation, which requires immediate intervention. The rigidity suggests a complication of the large bowel obstruction. Absence of bowel sounds in all four quadrants, option A, is a common finding in a bowel obstruction but not as alarming as a rigid abdomen. Frequent, small, liquid stools, option C, are not typical findings in a large bowel obstruction; instead, constipation is more common. Nausea and vomiting that worsens after meals, option D, are also common symptoms of a bowel obstruction but do not indicate an immediate life-threatening complication like a perforation.
2. A client with diabetes mellitus presents with a blood sugar level of 320 mg/dL. What is the nurse's initial action?
- A. Administer sliding scale insulin as prescribed
- B. Encourage the client to drink fluids
- C. Provide the client with a carbohydrate snack
- D. Assess the client for signs of hypoglycemia
Correct answer: A
Rationale: When a client with diabetes mellitus presents with a high blood sugar level of 320 mg/dL, the nurse's initial action should be to administer sliding scale insulin as prescribed. The priority is to bring down the elevated glucose level promptly to prevent further complications. Encouraging the client to drink fluids or providing a carbohydrate snack would not effectively address the elevated blood sugar level in this scenario. Assessing for signs of hypoglycemia is not appropriate as the client's blood sugar level is high, not low.
3. A male client reports numbness and tingling in his fingers and around his mouth. What laboratory value should the nurse review?
- A. Capillary glucose.
- B. Serum calcium.
- C. Urine specific gravity.
- D. White blood cell count.
Correct answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B, Serum calcium. Numbness and tingling in the fingers and around the mouth are indicative of hypocalcemia, a condition characterized by low calcium levels in the blood. Reviewing the client's serum calcium levels is crucial in this situation to assess for hypocalcemia. Choice A, Capillary glucose, is incorrect because symptoms described are not typically associated with glucose abnormalities. Choice C, Urine specific gravity, and Choice D, White blood cell count, are unrelated to the symptoms presented and are not indicative of the client's condition.
4. The nurse is planning to administer two medications at 0900. Which property of the drugs indicates a need to monitor the client for toxicity?
- A. Short half-life
- B. High therapeutic index
- C. Highly protein-bound
- D. Low bioavailability
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C, 'Highly protein-bound.' Drugs that are highly protein-bound can displace from protein-binding sites, leading to increased free drug levels in the blood, which can result in toxicity. Monitoring the client for toxicity is crucial when administering highly protein-bound drugs. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. A short half-life does not necessarily indicate a need for monitoring toxicity; a high therapeutic index indicates a wide safety margin between the effective dose and the toxic dose, reducing the risk of toxicity; low bioavailability refers to the fraction of the drug that reaches the systemic circulation unchanged and does not directly relate to the risk of toxicity.
5. After an older client receives treatment for drug toxicity, the healthcare provider prescribes a 24-hour creatinine clearance test. Before starting the urine collection, the nurse noted that the client's serum creatinine was 0.3 mg/dL. Which action should the nurse implement?
- A. Check the client's urine output hourly
- B. Instruct the client to increase fluid intake
- C. Notify the healthcare provider of the results
- D. Start the 24-hour urine collection
Correct answer: C
Rationale: A serum creatinine level of 0.3 mg/dL is abnormally low, indicating potential issues with the interpretation of the creatinine clearance test. It is crucial for the nurse to notify the healthcare provider of this result before proceeding with the 24-hour urine collection. Checking urine output, instructing the client to increase fluid intake, or starting the urine collection without consulting the healthcare provider could lead to incorrect test results and misinterpretation of the client's renal function.
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