Nursing Elites

1. A client with a fractured femur is placed in skeletal traction. What action should the nurse prioritize?

• A. Ensure that the weights are freely hanging.
• B. Place pillows under the client's knees.
• C. Adjust the weights to alleviate discomfort.
• D. Ensure that the traction ropes are free of knots.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct action the nurse should prioritize when a client is placed in skeletal traction for a fractured femur is to ensure that the weights are freely hanging. This is crucial to maintain proper alignment of the bone and prevent complications. Placing pillows under the client's knees (Choice B) is not a priority in skeletal traction. Adjusting the weights to alleviate discomfort (Choice C) should not be done without proper orders from the healthcare provider. Ensuring that the traction ropes are free of knots (Choice D) is important but ensuring the weights hang freely is the priority to maintain traction effectiveness.

2. A young male client is admitted to rehabilitation following a right AKA (above-the-knee amputation) for a severe traumatic injury. He is in the commons room and anxiously calls out to the nurse, stating that his 'right foot is aching.' The nurse offers reassurance and support. Which additional intervention is most important for the nurse to implement?

• A. Teach the client distraction techniques
• B. Provide a soft blanket to ease discomfort
• C. Administer prescribed pain medication
• D. Encourage discussion of feelings about the loss of his limb

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The client's report of pain in a missing limb is consistent with phantom limb pain, which can be distressing. Encouraging the client to discuss his feelings helps address the emotional and psychological aspects of the amputation and supports his overall recovery. Teaching distraction techniques (choice A) may provide temporary relief but does not address the underlying emotional distress. Providing a soft blanket (choice B) is not the priority when dealing with phantom limb pain. Administering pain medication (choice C) may not effectively manage phantom limb pain as it is more related to central nervous system changes rather than tissue damage.

3. A client with chronic kidney disease is prescribed a low-potassium diet. Which food should the nurse instruct the client to avoid?

• A. Carrots
• B. White bread
• C. Bananas
• D. Apples

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Bananas. Bananas are high in potassium and should be avoided in clients who are on a low-potassium diet due to chronic kidney disease. Foods like apples and white bread are low in potassium and are safer choices. Carrots are also low in potassium and do not need to be avoided in this case.

4. The nursing student is discussing with a preceptor the delegation of tasks to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). Which tasks, delegated to a UAP, indicates the student needs further teaching about the delegation process?

• A. Assist a client post cerebral vascular accident to ambulate
• B. Feed a 2-year-old in balanced skeletal traction
• C. Care for a client with discharge orders
• D. Collect a sputum specimen for acid-fast bacillus

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Caring for a client with discharge orders involves tasks that require critical thinking and clinical judgment, which are beyond the scope of a UAP. Delegating this task to a UAP can compromise patient safety and outcomes. The correct answer is C. Choices A, B, and D are appropriate tasks to delegate to a UAP based on their training and scope of practice. Assisting a client to ambulate, feeding a pediatric patient in traction, and collecting a sputum specimen are tasks that can be safely performed by a UAP under appropriate supervision.

5. What information should the nurse include in the client's health record after a fall in the bathroom?

• A. Client fell while trying to go to the bathroom
• B. The UAP left the client alone and a fall occurred
• C. The client was found on the floor with no pulse
• D. The client fell, sustaining a fracture to the left hip

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because the nurse should document factual, objective information such as the injury sustained by the client. Reporting the specific injury, like a fracture to the left hip, is crucial for accurate medical records. Choices A, B, and C lack specific detail about the injury and focus on different aspects of the fall that are not as pertinent for the health record. Choice A only mentions the fall without specifying the injury, choice B introduces blame without focusing on the client's condition, and choice C adds unnecessary information about the client's pulse which is not directly related to the fall injury.

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