Nursing Elites

1. A newly hired unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) is assigned to a home healthcare team along with two experienced UAPs. Which intervention should the home health nurse implement to ensure adequate care for all clients?

• A. Ask the most experienced UAP on the team to partner with the newly hired UAP.
• B. Evaluate the newly hired UAP’s level of competency by observing the UAP deliver care.
• C. Review the UAP’s skills checklist and experience with the person who hired the UAP.
• D. Assign the newly hired UAP to clients who require the least complex level of care.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Evaluating the newly hired UAP’s competency by observing them deliver care is the most effective intervention to ensure they can provide safe and effective care. This approach directly assesses the UAP's actual performance and allows for immediate feedback. Option A, asking the most experienced UAP to partner with the newly hired one, may not guarantee that the new UAP is competent. Option C, reviewing the UAP’s skills checklist and experience with the hiring person, does not provide a direct assessment of the UAP's current abilities. Option D, assigning the new UAP to less complex cases, does not address the need to evaluate their competency directly.

2. A male client reports the onset of numbness and tingling in his fingers and around his mouth. Which lab value is important for the nurse to review before contacting the health care provider?

• A. capillary glucose
• B. urine specific gravity
• C. Serum calcium
• D. white blood cell count

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Serum calcium. Numbness and tingling can be indicative of hypocalcemia, which can affect the nervous system. Reviewing serum calcium levels is crucial to address this potential issue. Options A, B, and D are not directly related to the symptoms described by the client and are not typically associated with numbness and tingling around the mouth and fingers. Capillary glucose levels are more relevant in assessing for diabetes or monitoring glucose control. Urine specific gravity is useful in evaluating hydration status. White blood cell count is typically checked to assess infection or immune response, which are not indicated by the client's symptoms of numbness and tingling.

3. A female client presents to the emergency department in the early evening complaining of abdominal cramping, watery diarrhea, and vomiting. She tells the nurse that she was at a picnic and ate barbecue that afternoon. What question is most important for the triage nurse to ask this client?

• A. Have you recently traveled outside the United States?
• B. How high was your temperature when you returned home?
• C. Have you taken any medication to treat these symptoms?
• D. Is anyone else sick who was also at the picnic?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The most important question for the triage nurse to ask the client in this scenario is whether anyone else who attended the picnic is also sick. This is crucial to identify a potential outbreak or common source of infection. Asking about recent travel may be important for infectious diseases but is not as relevant as identifying a common source among individuals who shared the same food. Inquiring about the client's temperature is important but does not provide immediate insight into the cause of symptoms. Asking about medication taken is relevant but not as critical as determining if others are affected, which could indicate a foodborne illness.

4. When administering diazepam, a benzodiazepine, 10 mg IV push PRN for a client with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, which actions should the nurse implement? (Select all that apply)

• A. Protect the medication from light exposure
• B. Monitor for changes in level of consciousness
• C. Observe for onset of generalized bruising or bleeding
• D. Perform ongoing assessment of respiratory status

Correct answer: D

Rationale: When administering diazepam for a client with alcohol withdrawal symptoms, it is crucial to perform ongoing assessment of respiratory status. Diazepam can lead to respiratory depression, emphasizing the need for continuous monitoring to detect any signs of respiratory distress early. Protecting the medication from light exposure is a general guideline for some drugs but is not a specific concern for diazepam. Observing for bruising or bleeding is not directly associated with the administration of diazepam for alcohol withdrawal symptoms, making choices A and C incorrect.

5. A client who is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is having difficulty swallowing and articulating words. Which intervention is most important to include in this client’s plan of care?

• A. Encourage speaking slowly and articulating words
• B. Sit upright and flex chin forward while swallowing
• C. Position a communication board at the bedside
• D. Provide feeding utensils with large grip handles

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct intervention for a client with ALS experiencing difficulty swallowing and articulating words is to sit upright and flex the chin forward while swallowing. This position helps manage dysphagia associated with ALS by facilitating the swallowing process. Encouraging speaking slowly and articulating words (Choice A) may be helpful for speech clarity but does not address the swallowing issue. Positioning a communication board (Choice C) would not directly address the swallowing difficulty. Providing feeding utensils with large grip handles (Choice D) is not the priority intervention for managing dysphagia in ALS.

Similar Questions