Nursing Elites

1. A nurse, monitoring a client in the fourth stage of labor, checks the client's vital signs every 15 minutes. The nurse notes that the client's pulse rate has increased from 70 to 100 beats/min. On the basis of this finding, which priority action should the nurse take?

• A. Continuing to check the client's vital signs every 15 minutes
• B. Notifying the registered nurse immediately
• C. Checking the client's uterine fundus
• D. Documenting the vital signs in the client's medical record

Correct answer: C

Rationale: During the fourth stage of labor, the woman's vital signs should be assessed every 15 minutes during the first hour. An increasing pulse rate is an early sign of excessive blood loss, as the heart beats faster to compensate for reduced blood volume. The blood pressure decreases as blood volume diminishes, but this is a later sign of hypovolemia. The most common reason for excessive postpartum bleeding is a uterus that is not firmly contracting and compressing open vessels at the placental site. Therefore, the nurse should check the client's uterine fundus for firmness, height, and positioning. Checking the uterine fundus is the priority action as it helps determine if the client is bleeding excessively. Notifying the registered nurse immediately is not necessary unless the cause of bleeding is unclear and needs further intervention. Continuing to check vital signs without addressing the potential issue will delay necessary intervention. Documenting findings is important, but not the immediate priority when faced with a potential emergency situation like postpartum hemorrhage.

2. A teenager is preparing to care for a hospitalized teenage girl who is in skeletal traction. The teenager assists with planning care knowing that which is the most likely primary concern of the teenage girl?

• A. Keeping up with schoolwork
• B. Body image
• C. Obtaining adequate rest and sleep
• D. Obtaining adequate nutrition

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Body image.' Adolescents, especially teenage girls, are often preoccupied with their appearance and body image. When facing a situation like being in skeletal traction, which can affect their physical appearance, body image becomes a primary concern. Concerns about body image can significantly impact their self-esteem and emotional well-being. Choice A, 'Keeping up with schoolwork,' is important but typically not the primary concern in this context. Choices C and D, 'Obtaining adequate rest and sleep' and 'Obtaining adequate nutrition,' are crucial for overall health but are secondary to the significant impact that body image concerns can have on a teenage girl in this situation.

3. Distribution of a drug to various tissues depends on the amount of cardiac output to each type of tissue. Which tissue would receive the highest amount of cardiac output and thus the highest amount of a drug?

• A. skin
• B. adipose tissue
• C. skeletal muscle
• D. myocardium

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The tissue that would receive the highest amount of cardiac output and thus the highest amount of a drug is the myocardium. Highly perfused tissues include vital organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, adrenal glands, and liver. The myocardium, being part of the heart, receives a significant amount of cardiac output. Choices A (skin) and B (adipose tissue) are poorly perfused tissues and would not receive high amounts of cardiac output. Choice C (skeletal muscle) is also less perfused compared to the myocardium.

4. The client provides information to a pregnant client who is experiencing nausea and vomiting about measures to relieve the discomfort. Which statement by the mother indicates the need for further information?

• A. ''I should eat five or six small meals a day rather than three full meals.''
• B. ''I need to be sure not to drink liquids with my meals.''
• C. ''I should keep dry crackers at my bedside and eat them before I get out of bed in the morning.''
• D. ''I need to avoid eating fried or greasy foods.''

Correct answer: B

Rationale: To alleviate nausea and vomiting, the client should avoid drinking liquids with meals. The client should keep dry crackers at her bedside, avoid fried foods, and eat smaller meals. Additionally, the client should eat dry crackers every 2 hours to prevent an empty stomach and avoid spicy foods and foods with strong odors, such as onion and cabbage. The incorrect choices are: A) Eating five or six small meals a day instead of three full meals is a correct recommendation. C) Keeping dry crackers at her bedside and eating them before getting out of bed in the morning is a helpful suggestion. D) Avoiding fried or greasy foods is a valid advice to alleviate nausea and vomiting.

5. When inspecting the client's eyelids for ptosis, the nurse is checking for which abnormality?

• A. Drooping
• B. Pupil dilation
• C. Pupil constriction
• D. Deviation of ocular movements

Correct answer: A

Rationale: When a nurse inspects a client's eyelids for ptosis, they are checking for drooping. Ptosis is a condition characterized by the drooping of the eyelids and can be associated with various disorders such as myasthenia gravis, dysfunction of cranial nerve III, and Bell's palsy. Pupil dilation and constriction are assessed using a flashlight to check pupillary response. Deviation of ocular movements is evaluated by leading the client's eyes through the six cardinal positions of gaze. Therefore, in this scenario, the correct answer is 'Drooping' as it specifically relates to the abnormality associated with ptosis.

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