Nursing Elites

1. A nurse is assessing a postoperative patient for signs of infection. Which finding is most concerning?

• A. Mild redness at the incision site.
• B. Increased drainage from the surgical site.
• C. Fever of 101°F.
• D. Normal white blood cell count.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: A fever of 101°F is the most concerning finding when assessing a postoperative patient for signs of infection. Fever can indicate an inflammatory response to an infection, and in a postoperative patient, it can signal a surgical site infection or a systemic infection. Prompt attention is necessary to prevent complications such as sepsis. Mild redness at the incision site and increased drainage can be expected in the early postoperative period due to the normal healing process. A normal white blood cell count does not rule out infection as it can be influenced by various factors, and some infections may not initially cause a rise in white blood cells.

2. A health care provider asks the nurse who is caring for a client with a new colostomy to ask the hospital's stoma nurse to visit the client. What is the nurse's responsibility?

• A. Contact the stoma nurse immediately.
• B. Educate the client on stoma care.
• C. Assess the stoma site for complications.
• D. Arrange for follow-up visits with the stoma nurse.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: 'Educate the client on stoma care.' The nurse's primary responsibility in this scenario is to provide education to the client on stoma care. This empowers the client to take care of their colostomy effectively. While it is important to involve the stoma nurse for specialized care, the immediate action required from the nurse is client education. Choice A is incorrect as the immediate action is not to contact the stoma nurse but to educate the client first. Choice C is not the nurse's initial responsibility unless there are obvious complications. Choice D is premature as arranging follow-up visits should come after the client has been educated and initial care has been provided.

3. What is the priority intervention for a patient experiencing chest pain?

• A. Administer nitroglycerin as prescribed.
• B. Encourage the patient to take deep breaths.
• C. Monitor the patient's blood pressure closely.
• D. Encourage the patient to rest in a comfortable position.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is to administer nitroglycerin as prescribed. Nitroglycerin helps relieve chest pain by dilating blood vessels and improving blood flow, addressing the immediate concern of chest pain. Encouraging deep breaths may not be appropriate for chest pain, monitoring blood pressure, although important, is not the priority when the patient is experiencing chest pain, and while resting in a comfortable position is beneficial, administering nitroglycerin is the priority intervention to address the chest pain.

4. How should a healthcare professional respond to a patient experiencing hypoglycemia?

• A. Rechecking the blood glucose level in 15 minutes
• B. Encouraging the patient to eat a high-protein snack
• C. Administering 15g of fast-acting carbohydrates
• D. Administering glucagon if the patient is unconscious

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct response to a patient experiencing hypoglycemia is to administer 15g of fast-acting carbohydrates. This helps quickly increase the blood glucose levels in the patient, addressing the low blood sugar. Rechecking the blood glucose level in 15 minutes (Choice A) may delay necessary intervention, encouraging a high-protein snack (Choice B) is not recommended as it does not rapidly increase blood sugar levels, and administering glucagon if the patient is unconscious (Choice D) is typically done in severe cases of hypoglycemia when the patient is unable to eat or drink.

5. A patient with a urinary catheter reports discomfort. What is the nurse's priority action?

• A. Ensure the catheter tubing is not kinked.
• B. Irrigate the catheter to relieve the discomfort.
• C. Change the catheter to a smaller size.
• D. Remove the catheter and replace it with a new one.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is to ensure the catheter tubing is not kinked. This is the priority action because a kinked tubing can obstruct urine flow, leading to discomfort and potential complications. It is essential to troubleshoot the current catheter first before considering other interventions. Irrigating the catheter (Choice B) may not address the underlying issue of kinking. Changing the catheter to a smaller size (Choice C) or removing and replacing it with a new one (Choice D) should only be considered if ensuring the tubing is unkinked does not resolve the discomfort.

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