Nursing Elites

1. A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a patient who has extensive partial and full-thickness burns of the head, neck, and chest. While planning the patient’s care, the nurse should identify which of the following risks as the priority for assessment and intervention?

• A. Infection
• B. Airway obstruction
• C. Fluid imbalance
• D. Pain management

Correct answer: B

Rationale: When a patient has extensive burns involving the head, neck, and chest, the priority concern is airway obstruction. The proximity of the burns to the airway can lead to swelling and compromise the patient's ability to breathe. In this situation, ensuring a clear airway and adequate oxygenation takes precedence over other risks such as infection, fluid imbalance, or pain management. While these are also important considerations in burn care, the immediate threat to the patient's life from airway compromise makes it the priority for assessment and intervention.

2. A healthcare professional is verifying nasogastric tube placement by the pH of aspirated gastric fluid. Which of the following pH values provides a good indication of correct tube placement?

• A. 2
• B. 5
• C. 7
• D. 9

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: '2'. Gastric contents with a pH between 0 and 4 provide a good indication of appropriate tube placement. A pH of 2 is within this range, indicating that the tube is correctly placed in the stomach. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because a pH of 5, 7, or 9 does not fall within the expected acidic pH range of gastric fluid.

3. A healthcare professional is assessing a client for signs of anemia. Which of the following findings should the healthcare professional expect?

• A. Increased energy levels
• B. Pale skin
• C. Elevated blood pressure
• D. Decreased heart rate

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Pale skin is a common sign of anemia due to reduced hemoglobin levels, leading to decreased oxygen delivery to tissues. This results in skin pallor. Choices A, C, and D are incorrect. Anemia typically causes fatigue and decreased energy levels (not increased), low blood pressure (not elevated), and tachycardia (increased heart rate) to compensate for the decreased oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

4. A nurse is preparing to insert an indwelling urinary catheter into a female client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

• A. Inflate the balloon with 10 mL of sterile water prior to insertion
• B. Cleanse the client’s labia and meatus using a front-to-back motion
• C. Ask the client to bear down while inserting the catheter
• D. Inflate the catheter balloon after urine begins to flow

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take when inserting an indwelling urinary catheter into a female client is to inflate the catheter balloon after urine begins to flow. Inflating the balloon before urine starts flowing can lead to incorrect placement in the urethra, causing trauma. Cleansing the labia and meatus should be done before the insertion, but the crucial step of inflating the balloon should occur after the catheter is correctly placed. Asking the client to bear down is not necessary during catheter insertion.

5. A nurse is caring for a client who is in active labor. The nurse notes early decelerations in the FHR on the fetal monitor tracing. The nurse should identify that which of the following conditions causes early decelerations in the FHR?

• A. Fetal hypoxemia
• B. Cord compression
• C. Uteroplacental insufficiency
• D. Head compression

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Early decelerations are caused by head compression during contractions, which is a normal response as the fetal head is being compressed during uterine contractions. This usually indicates that the fetus is descending into the birth canal. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Fetal hypoxemia, cord compression, and uteroplacental insufficiency typically present with variable or late decelerations on the fetal heart rate tracing, not early decelerations.

Similar Questions