Nursing Elites

1. During data collection of a client with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome, a nurse plans to perform the Phalen test. The nurse should ask the client to perform which activity?

• A. Dorsiflex the foot
• B. Plantarflex the foot
• C. Hold the hands back to back while flexing the wrists 90 degrees for 60 seconds
• D. Hyperextend the fingers with the palmar surfaces of the hands touching, holding the position for 60 seconds

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In the Phalen test, the nurse asks the client to hold the hands back to back while flexing the wrists 90 degrees. This position puts pressure on the median nerve, eliciting symptoms in carpal tunnel syndrome. Dorsiflexing or plantarflexing the foot and hyperextending the fingers are not associated with testing for carpal tunnel syndrome. Acute flexion of the wrist for 60 seconds produces no symptoms in the normal hand.

2. A client is brought to the emergency department after a motor vehicle accident. The client is alert and cooperative but has sustained multiple fractures of the legs. How should the nurse proceed with data collection?

• A. Collect health history information first while initiating emergency measures.
• B. Ask health history questions while performing the examination and initiating emergency measures.
• C. Collect all information requested on the history form, including social support, strengths, and coping patterns.
• D. Perform emergency measures and delay health history questions until after treating the fractures in the operating room.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When a client is alert and cooperative but has sustained multiple fractures, the nurse should prioritize obtaining health history information while performing the examination and initiating emergency measures. This approach allows the nurse to gather essential information without delaying immediate interventions. Option A is incorrect because collecting health history information before addressing the immediate need for treatment may lead to a delay in necessary interventions. Option C is incorrect as it includes non-urgent aspects of data collection that are not a priority in this critical situation. Option D is incorrect because delaying health history questions until after treating the fractures may result in missing crucial information essential for the client's immediate care.

3. A pregnant client asks a nurse about the use of noninvasive acupressure as a complementary alternative therapy to relieve nausea. The nurse provides which instruction?

• A. It is safe to try any type of complementary alternative therapy to relieve nausea
• B. The physician or nurse-midwife needs to provide a prescription for acupressure devices
• C. Devices that apply pressure alone are available over the counter
• D. Complementary alternative therapies should not be used during pregnancy

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Devices that apply pressure alone are available over the counter.' Acupressure over the Neiguan acupuncture point can be used as a complementary alternative therapy to relieve nausea during pregnancy. It can be performed with devices that apply pressure alone, which are available over the counter. Acupressure devices that apply electrical impulses over this point require a prescription. It is not safe to try any type of complementary alternative therapy during pregnancy, as some may be harmful to the mother and fetus. Therefore, the nurse should instruct the client about the availability of over-the-counter pressure devices for acupressure, which are generally safe to use.

4. A nurse is preparing to auscultate a fetal heart rate (FHR). The nurse performs the Leopold maneuvers to determine the position of the fetus and then places the fetoscope over which part of the fetus?

• A. Back of the fetus
• B. Carotid artery in the neck of the fetus
• C. Brachial area of one extremity of the fetus
• D. Chest of the fetus

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The nurse would use the Leopold maneuvers to identify the position of the fetus and determine the location of the fetal back. The fetal heart rate (FHR) is most easily heard through the fetal back because it usually lies closest to the surface of the maternal abdomen. Auscultation of the FHR over the chest, carotid artery, or brachial area is not possible due to the fetal position within the maternal abdomen. Placing the fetoscope over the carotid artery or brachial area would not yield the fetal heart rate, and the chest area is not typically used for auscultating the FHR.

5. While assisting with data collection of an adult client, a nurse asks the client to identify various odors. In this technique, which cranial nerve is the nurse assessing?

• A. Optic
• B. Abducens
• C. Olfactory
• D. Hypoglossal

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Olfactory.' The olfactory nerve is responsible for the sense of smell. Assessing this nerve involves testing the client's ability to identify various odors. Loss of smell, head trauma, abnormal mental status, and suspected intracranial lesions are conditions where testing the olfactory nerve is essential. The optic nerve is evaluated for visual acuity and visual fields. The abducens nerve is usually assessed alongside the oculomotor and trochlear nerves, focusing on pupil size, regularity, light reactions, accommodation, and extraocular movements. The hypoglossal nerve is examined by inspecting the tongue, not by assessing the sense of smell.

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