Nursing Elites

1. Due to a high census, it has been necessary for a number of clients to be transferred to other units within the hospital. Which client should be transferred to the postpartum unit?

• A. A 66-year-old female with gastroenteritis
• B. A 40-year-old female with a hysterectomy
• C. A 27-year-old male with severe depression
• D. A 28-year-old male with ulcerative colitis

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The best client to transfer to the postpartum unit is the 40-year-old female with a hysterectomy. The nurses on the postpartum unit will be knowledgeable about postoperative care and can manage any complications related to the surgery. Choices A and D would be more appropriately cared for on a medical-surgical unit due to their conditions. Choice C should be transferred to a psychiatric unit for specialized care related to severe depression.

2. Narrow therapeutic index medications:

• A. are drug formulations with limited pharmacokinetic variability.
• B. have limited value and require no monitoring of blood levels.
• C. have less than a twofold difference in minimum toxic levels and minimum effective concentration in the blood
• D. have limited potency and side effects.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The therapeutic index is the ratio between the median lethal dose and median effective dose of a drug, indicating the safety margin. Narrow therapeutic index medications have a small difference between minimum toxic levels and minimum effective concentration in the blood, making them high-risk drugs that require close monitoring to avoid toxicity. Choice A is incorrect because pharmacokinetics refer to drug absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination, not the therapeutic index. Choice B is incorrect because narrow therapeutic index drugs necessitate monitoring due to their narrow margin of safety. Choice D is incorrect because narrow therapeutic index drugs do not necessarily have limited potency but are characterized by a small window between efficacy and toxicity.

3. Several clients are admitted to the emergency room following a three-car vehicle accident. Which clients can be assigned to share a room in the emergency department during the disaster?

• A. The schizophrenic client experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations and the client with ulcerative colitis
• B. The client who is 6 months pregnant with abdominal pain and the client with facial lacerations and a broken arm
• C. A child with fixed and dilated pupils and his parents, and the client with a frontal head injury
• D. The client who arrives with a large puncture wound to the abdomen and the client with chest pain

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is to assign the client who is 6 months pregnant with abdominal pain and the client with facial lacerations and a broken arm to share a room. The pregnant client needs close monitoring due to the abdominal pain, and the client with facial lacerations and a broken arm requires immediate attention for wound care and possible fracture management. Choice A should not be assigned together as the schizophrenic client experiencing visual and auditory hallucinations needs a separate room for privacy and safety, and the client with ulcerative colitis may require isolation due to the risk of infection. Choice C is incorrect because the child with fixed and dilated pupils is likely in a critical condition and should be in a private room with parents, while the client with a frontal head injury needs a separate room for focused care. Choice D is also incorrect as the client with a large puncture wound to the abdomen needs immediate attention in a separate room, and the client with chest pain requires evaluation and monitoring in a separate setting as well.

4. A hospitalized client has just been informed that he has terminal cancer. He says to the nurse, 'There must be some mistake in the diagnosis.' The nurse determines that the client is demonstrating which of the following?

• A. denial
• B. anger
• C. bargaining
• D. acceptance

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is denial. In this scenario, the client's statement indicates denial, which is a common reaction in K�bler-Ross's Stages of Grieving. Denial involves the refusal to accept or believe that a loss, such as a terminal illness diagnosis, is happening. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect: Anger involves feelings of resentment or frustration; Bargaining is an attempt to negotiate or make deals to avoid the situation; Acceptance is the final stage where the individual comes to terms with the reality of the situation.

5. The licensed practical nurse is working with a registered nurse and a patient care assistant. Which of the following clients should be cared for by the registered nurse?

• A. A client 2 days post-appendectomy
• B. A client 1 week post-thyroidectomy
• C. A client 3 days post-splenectomy
• D. A client 2 days post-thoracotomy

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is a client 2 days post-thoracotomy because this client is the most critical and requires the expertise of a registered nurse. Clients A and B are stable and ready for discharge after their respective surgeries (appendectomy and thyroidectomy). Client C, who is 3 days post-splenectomy, is also stable enough to be cared for by a licensed practical nurse as they are in a stable condition and do not have immediate critical needs. Therefore, the registered nurse should care for the client 2 days post-thoracotomy due to the critical nature of the procedure and the immediate postoperative care required.

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