Nursing Elites

1. When assessing a client with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the nurse should expect which of the following findings?

• A. mental confusion
• B. muscular weakness
• C. sensory loss
• D. emotional liability

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Clients with ALS typically present with progressive muscular weakness and wasting as a hallmark feature of the disease. This weakness affects voluntary muscles, leading to challenges in mobility and daily activities. Sensory loss is not a characteristic feature of ALS, and individuals usually maintain their mental clarity without experiencing mental confusion. Emotional liability, characterized by sudden, uncontrolled changes in emotions, is not a common finding in ALS. While individuals may experience periods of grief due to the progressive nature of the disease, emotional liability is not a usual manifestation. Therefore, the correct finding to expect when assessing a client with ALS is muscular weakness.

2. All of the following interventions should be performed when fetal heart monitoring indicates fetal distress except:

• A. Increase maternal fluids.
• B. Administer oxygen.
• C. Decrease maternal fluids.
• D. Turn the mother.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When fetal heart monitoring indicates fetal distress, interventions are aimed at improving oxygenation to the fetus. Increasing maternal fluids helps improve placental perfusion and oxygen delivery to the fetus. Administering oxygen also aids in increasing oxygen supply to the fetus. Turning the mother can help relieve pressure on the vena cava, optimizing blood flow to the placenta. Therefore, decreasing maternal fluids would not be performed as it can further compromise placental perfusion and fetal oxygenation, making it the exception. Decreasing maternal fluids could potentially exacerbate fetal distress by reducing oxygen delivery and nutrient supply to the fetus, which is contrary to the goal of managing fetal distress.

3. When preparing a client for a neck x-ray, what is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take if the client expresses concern about removing a religious medal worn around the neck?

• A. Telling the client that the medal and chain will be kept at the nurse's station for safekeeping while the client is undergoing the x-ray
• B. Asking the client to remove the medal until the x-ray has been completed
• C. Assisting the client in pinning the medal and chain to the waistband of the client's pajama bottoms
• D. Asking the client to place the medal in the top drawer of the bedside stand just before leaving for the radiology department

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When a client undergoing a neck x-ray expresses concern about removing a religious medal worn around the neck, the nurse should assist the client in pinning the medal and chain to the hospital gown or in another area where it will not appear on the x-ray image. This action allows the client to keep the medal close without interfering with the x-ray procedure. It is important to ensure that the radiology department staff is informed about this arrangement. Asking the client to remove the medal, keeping it at the nurse's station, or placing it in the bedside stand is not appropriate. These actions may lead to the loss of the medal and chain and do not address the client's concerns about the religious significance of the item.

4. When caring for clients with Buck’s Traction, the major areas of importance should be:

• A. nutrition, elimination, comfort, safety
• B. ROM exercises, transportation
• C. nutrition, elimination, comfort, safety
• D. elimination, safety, isotonic exercises

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When caring for clients with Buck’s Traction, the major areas of importance should be nutrition, elimination, comfort, and safety. Proper nutrition, including a diet high in protein with adequate fluids, is essential for healing and recovery. Elimination refers to maintaining regular bowel and bladder function. Comfort is crucial to ensure the patient's well-being while in traction, and safety measures should be followed to prevent complications. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect. ROM exercises are not typically a primary concern with Buck’s Traction, making choices A and B incorrect. Isotonic exercises are not specifically related to the care of a client in Buck's Traction, making choice D incorrect.

5. A nurse sees another nurse changing an intravenous (IV) solution because the wrong solution is infusing into the client. The nurse who changed the IV solution does not report the error. What should the nurse who observed the error do first?

• A. Report the nurse who changed the IV solution
• B. Document the error in the client's chart
• C. Call the client's health care provider
• D. Ask the nurse whether she intends to report the error

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The first thing the nurse who observed the error should do is ask the nurse whether she intends to report the error. Ensuring client safety is paramount, and all errors must be reported to the health care provider, but this is not the initial action. The client should also be assessed immediately. The nurse who discovered the error should complete an incident report and make appropriate documentation in the client's record. If the nurse who observed the error finds out that it will not be reported, it may be necessary to involve the supervisor. Therefore, the best course of action initially is to communicate with the nurse who made the error to understand her intentions regarding reporting.

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