Nursing Elites

1. A healthcare professional is preparing to administer medications to a client. Which of the following client identifiers should the healthcare professional use to ensure medication safety?

• A. Ask the client to state their full name.
• B. Ask the client for their date of birth.
• C. Compare the client's wristband with the medication administration record.
• D. Ask the client for their room number.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Comparing the client's wristband with the medication administration record is a crucial step in ensuring medication safety. The wristband typically contains unique identifiers such as the client's name, date of birth, and medical record number, which should be cross-checked with the medication administration record to confirm the correct patient. Asking the client to state their name (Choice A) or date of birth (Choice B) may not be as reliable as the information can be misunderstood or miscommunicated. Asking for the room number (Choice D) is not a reliable client identifier for medication administration and does not confirm the patient's identity accurately.

2. An 18-year-old client is admitted to the intensive care unit from the emergency room following a diving accident. The injury is suspected to be at the level of the 2nd cervical vertebra. The nurse's priority assessment should be

• A. Response to stimuli
• B. Bladder control
• C. Respiratory function
• D. Muscle strength

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Injuries at the level of the 2nd cervical vertebra can affect the phrenic nerve, leading to potential impairment of respiratory function. Assessing respiratory function is crucial as compromised breathing can quickly escalate to life-threatening situations. While response to stimuli is important, ensuring adequate oxygenation takes precedence due to the immediate threat to life. Bladder control may be affected by spinal cord injuries at higher levels, but it is not the priority in this scenario. Muscle strength is a potential consequence of cervical spinal cord injury, but assessing respiratory function is more critical in the acute phase.

3. What is the most important action for the nurse to take to prevent infection in a client who has just returned from surgery with an indwelling urinary catheter in place?

• A. Change the catheter every 72 hours.
• B. Ensure the catheter tubing is free of kinks.
• C. Clean the perineal area with antiseptic solution daily.
• D. Irrigate the catheter with normal saline every shift.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The most important action to prevent infection in a client with an indwelling urinary catheter is to ensure the catheter tubing is free of kinks. This action helps prevent obstruction, ensures proper drainage, and reduces the risk of infection. Changing the catheter every 72 hours is not necessary unless clinically indicated and may introduce unnecessary risk. Cleaning the perineal area with antiseptic solution daily is important for general hygiene but not the most critical action for catheter-related infection prevention. Irrigating the catheter with normal saline every shift is not a routine nursing intervention for catheter care and may increase the risk of introducing pathogens.

4. The nurse is caring for a client with cirrhosis of the liver. Which finding should the LPN/LVN report to the healthcare provider immediately?

• A. Yellowing of the skin and eyes
• B. Dark-colored urine
• C. Abdominal distention
• D. Confusion

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice) is a classic sign of liver dysfunction in clients with cirrhosis. Jaundice indicates the accumulation of bilirubin in the body due to impaired liver function. This finding suggests worsening liver damage and should be reported immediately to the healthcare provider for prompt evaluation and management. Dark-colored urine (choice B) is also a concerning symptom in liver disease, indicating possible bilirubin presence, but it is not as urgent as jaundice. Abdominal distention (choice C) and confusion (choice D) are common in cirrhosis but do not indicate an immediate need for healthcare provider notification compared to jajsondice.

5. When ethical dilemmas arise, what should newly licensed nurses expect and identify as an ethical dilemma?

• A. A nurse on a medical-surgical unit demonstrates signs of chemical impairment.
• B. A nurse overhears another nurse telling an older adult client that if he doesn’t stay in bed, she will have to apply restraints.
• C. A family has conflicting feelings about the initiation of enteral tube feedings for their father, who is terminally ill.
• D. A client who is terminally ill hesitates to name their partner on their durable power of attorney form.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: An ethical dilemma involves a situation where there are conflicting values or principles that make it difficult to make a clear decision. In the given scenarios, option C best represents an ethical dilemma as the family has conflicting feelings about initiating enteral tube feedings for their terminally ill father. This situation presents a clash between different values and beliefs, making it challenging to reach a resolution. Options A, B, and D do not illustrate conflicting values or principles that characterize an ethical dilemma. Option A describes a nurse's impairment, which is a concern but not a direct ethical dilemma. Option B depicts a potential breach of client autonomy and restraint use, which is an ethical issue but not a true ethical dilemma. Option D involves a client's personal decision regarding a durable power of attorney form, which, although important, does not present conflicting values or principles that define an ethical dilemma.

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