Nursing Elites

1. The nurse is teaching an obese client, newly diagnosed with arteriosclerosis, about reducing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Which health promotion brochure is most important for the nurse to provide to this client?

• A. Monitoring Your Blood Pressure at Home
• B. Smoking Cessation as a Lifelong Commitment
• C. Decreasing Cholesterol Levels Through Diet
• D. Stress Management for a Healthier You

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The most important health promotion brochure to provide to an obese client newly diagnosed with arteriosclerosis is one focused on decreasing cholesterol levels through diet. Arteriosclerosis is significantly influenced by excess dietary fat, especially saturated fat and cholesterol. Monitoring blood pressure at home, while important, does not directly address the underlying cause of arteriosclerosis. Smoking cessation and stress management are crucial for overall cardiovascular health, but lowering cholesterol through diet takes precedence in this scenario.

2. In taking a client's history, the nurse asks about the stool characteristics. Which description should the nurse report to the healthcare provider as soon as possible?

• A. Daily black, sticky stool
• B. Daily dark brown stool
• C. Firm brown stool every other day
• D. Soft light brown stool twice a day

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Daily black, sticky stool.' Black sticky stool (melena) is indicative of gastrointestinal bleeding, a serious condition that requires immediate attention from the healthcare provider. Options B and D, 'Daily dark brown stool' and 'Soft light brown stool twice a day,' respectively, represent variations of normal stool characteristics and do not raise immediate concerns about the client's health. Option C, 'Firm brown stool every other day,' suggests constipation, which is of lesser concern and can be managed with interventions.

3. Which approach would the healthcare provider use when managing the care of a client diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?

• A. Creating an anxiety-free environment for the client
• B. Assisting the client with the development of healthy, adaptive coping mechanisms
• C. Avoiding triggers that produce anxiety in the client
• D. Providing reinforcement that the client's anxiety issues can be eliminated

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The healthcare provider would assist the client with the development of healthy, adaptive coping mechanisms. GAD is characterized by the maladaptive use of worrying as a coping mechanism. The ultimate goal is for the healthcare provider to help the client replace the ineffective worrying with effective, healthy coping mechanisms. Creating an anxiety-free environment is not feasible or recommended; the goal is to help the client learn to deal with anxiety in a healthy manner. While identifying triggers is important, avoiding all triggers that produce anxiety is often impractical. Providing reinforcement that anxiety issues can be eliminated is not appropriate as anxiety is a normal human experience that needs to be managed effectively rather than eliminated completely.

4. Which of the following mental health situations is considered a psychiatric emergency?

• A. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
• B. Depression with melancholic features
• C. Major depressive episode with psychotic features
• D. Bipolar depression

Correct answer: C

Rationale: A major depressive episode with psychotic features is considered a psychiatric emergency because it poses a significant risk to the individual's safety. Psychotic features in depression can include hallucinations, delusions, or other severe symptoms that require immediate intervention. While Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and depression with melancholic features are serious conditions, they do not inherently represent an acute emergency that necessitates immediate hospitalization. Bipolar depression, although severe, does not inherently involve psychotic symptoms that would classify it as a psychiatric emergency requiring immediate intervention. It's crucial to recognize the urgency and severity of major depressive episodes with psychotic features to ensure appropriate and timely treatment.

5. Which method is used to verify the placement of a newly inserted central venous access device (CVAD)?

• A. Chest x-ray
• B. Flushing the line with heparin
• C. Withdrawing blood to ensure patency
• D. Chest fluoroscopy

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct method to verify the placement of a newly inserted central venous access device (CVAD) is a chest x-ray. This is crucial to detect any potential complications such as pneumothorax, which can occur during subclavian vein catheter insertion. Symptoms of pneumothorax may include shortness of breath and anxiety. Flushing the line with heparin is not used for placement verification, but rather for maintaining patency after verification. Withdrawing blood to ensure patency is done after placement is confirmed, not for initial verification. Chest fluoroscopy may be used during the insertion process but is not typically employed for placement verification.

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