Nursing Elites

1. A nurse is supervising a new nursing graduate in various procedures. Which action by the new nursing graduate constitutes a negligent act?

• A. Giving a verbal report to the nurse on the oncoming shift
• B. Checking neurological signs in a client with a head injury
• C. Contacting a healthcare provider about a change in a client's blood pressure
• D. Using clean gloves to change a gastrostomy tube dressing

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Negligent acts in nursing include various errors that can harm the client, such as medication errors, intravenous therapy errors, burns, falls, failure to use aseptic technique, failure to provide adequate monitoring, and failure to report significant changes in a client's condition. In this scenario, using clean gloves to change a gastrostomy tube dressing is a negligent act because sterile gloves should be used when changing a dressing over broken skin. Choices A, B, and C are not negligent acts as they involve appropriate nursing actions: giving a verbal report, checking neurological signs, and contacting a healthcare provider about a change in a client's blood pressure.

2. Which of the following statements from a client may indicate that they are at a higher risk for a fall?

• A. "I would like to get out of bed but would like to put on my non-skid socks first."?
• B. "Can you make sure the two bedrails are raised before leaving the room?"?
• C. "I think I'm ready to walk a longer distance with the cane today."?
• D. "I need to get out of bed to go to the bathroom now. I cannot find my glasses but cannot wait."?

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'I need to get out of bed to go to the bathroom now. I cannot find my glasses but cannot wait.' This statement indicates that the client is in a hurry and unable to find their glasses, which could increase the risk of a fall due to impaired vision. Choice A about putting on non-skid socks shows the client's awareness of fall prevention, reducing the risk. Choice B demonstrates the client's request for bedrails to be raised, which is a safety measure, reducing the risk as well. Choice C suggests the client's readiness to walk a longer distance with a cane, indicating progress in mobility but not necessarily a higher fall risk.

3. While caring for the following clients, a pediatric nurse tells the charge nurse she must leave due to a family emergency. Which client would the charge nurse reassign to an LPN?

• A. An eight-year-old in diabetic ketoacidosis
• B. A six-year-old in sickle cell crisis
• C. A two-month-old with dehydration
• D. A five-year-old in skeletal traction

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is a five-year-old in skeletal traction. This task is within the scope of practice for an LPN and would need minimal assistance from an RN. The children with diabetic ketoacidosis, sickle cell crisis, and dehydration require close observation, good assessment skills, IVF needs, and medications that would be better managed by an RN. Reassigning the child in skeletal traction to an LPN ensures appropriate care while allowing the RN to focus on the more critical cases.

4. A nurse who works in a medical care unit is told that she must float to the intensive care unit because of a short-staffing problem on that unit. The nurse reports to the unit and is assigned to three clients. The nurse is angry with the assignment because she believes that the assignment is more difficult than the assignment delegated to other nurses on the unit and because the intensive care unit nurses are each assigned only one client. The nurse should most appropriately take which action?

• A. Refuse to do the assignment
• B. Tell the nurse manager to call the nursing supervisor
• C. Return to the medical care unit and discuss the assignment with the nurse manager on that unit
• D. Ask the nurse manager of the intensive care unit to discuss the assignment

Correct answer: D

Rationale: In this scenario, the nurse feeling that the assignment is more difficult than what other nurses received should approach the nurse manager of the intensive care unit to discuss the assignment. By doing so, the nurse can seek clarification on the rationale for the assignment or confirm if it is genuinely more challenging. Refusing the assignment is not appropriate as it could impact patient care. Returning to the medical care unit would be considered client abandonment and does not directly address the conflict at hand. Instructing the nurse manager to involve the nursing supervisor is an aggressive approach that does not directly resolve the issue.

5. The nurse is preparing task assignments for the day. Which task should the nurse assign to a nursing assistant?

• A. Monitoring for bleeding for a client who has just undergone cardiac catheterization
• B. Assisting a client who is getting up to ambulate for the first time after surgery
• C. Providing oral care to an unconscious client who requires oral care
• D. Completing the preoperative checklist for a client scheduled for a liver biopsy

Correct answer: C

Rationale: When delegating tasks, the nurse must consider the state nursing practice act guidelines and job descriptions. Providing oral care to an unconscious client is a task suitable for delegation to a nursing assistant. The nurse should give clear instructions on adapting the procedure for the client's needs and the signs of complications to watch for. Monitoring for bleeding after cardiac catheterization necessitates immediate nursing assessment, which requires critical thinking and intervention that exceeds a nursing assistant's scope of practice. Assisting a client with ambulation post-surgery carries the risk of orthostatic hypotension and should be performed by a licensed nurse. Completing a preoperative checklist for a client scheduled for a liver biopsy involves critical assessment and preparation that are within the nurse's scope of practice.

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