Nursing Elites

1. Ruth is a 72-year-old patient who has been upset and crying all morning. When asked why she is upset, she turns toward the wall in silence. What collaborative process may be helpful in caring for this patient?

• A. Speak with the patient care technician
• B. Call the chaplain
• C. Call the social worker
• D. Call the patient's husband

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Collaborating with the patient care technician is an appropriate approach in this scenario. Patient care technicians and nurses' aides often provide direct care to patients, developing a closer relationship with them. Patients may feel more comfortable sharing their feelings with these caregivers compared to other healthcare professionals. In this situation, Ruth's distress appears more emotional than spiritual, making it more suitable to speak with someone directly involved in her care. Calling the chaplain (Choice B) might not directly address Ruth's immediate emotional needs as it could focus more on spiritual support. Involving the social worker (Choice C) could help address underlying emotional or social issues, but speaking with the patient care technician is a more direct and immediate step to assess and provide initial support. Calling the patient's husband (Choice D) may not address Ruth's immediate emotional distress and may not be appropriate without understanding the root cause of her upset.

2. A nurse is caring for an in-patient client in the hospital who is from another country and who fasts for temporary periods in order to promote his own spiritual growth. The nurse responds by saying, 'You need to eat something while you are here. Food and proper nutrition are extremely important for your health.' What social philosophy is the nurse demonstrating?

• A. Ethnocentrism
• B. Relativism
• C. Stereotyping
• D. Xenocentrism

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The nurse's response reflects ethnocentrism, a belief that one's own cultural practices are superior to others. Ethnocentrism involves viewing one's own culture as the standard by which all others should be judged. In this scenario, the nurse's insistence that the client needs to eat disregards the client's cultural and spiritual beliefs, considering only the nurse's perspective as valid. B: Relativism is the recognition and acceptance of cultural differences without judgment. The nurse's behavior does not align with relativism as there is a lack of understanding and acceptance of the client's cultural practices. C: Stereotyping involves making assumptions about individuals based on predefined characteristics. While the nurse may have made assumptions, the core issue in this scenario is the belief in the superiority of one's own cultural practices. D: Xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, where one perceives other cultures as superior to their own. The nurse's actions are not driven by a belief in the superiority of the client's culture but rather by a belief in the superiority of her own cultural practices.

3. Which action represents the evaluation stage of the plan of care?

• A. The nurse assigns a nursing diagnosis of Impaired Skin Integrity related to diminished skin circulation
• B. The nurse assesses the client's vital signs and asks about symptoms
• C. The nurse determines that the client is not meeting his set outcomes and makes revisions
• D. The nurse discusses the client's health history

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. The evaluation stage of the nursing process involves reviewing the assessments, diagnoses, and interventions given to the client and then determining if the client is meeting expected outcomes. In this scenario, the nurse is assessing whether the client is meeting the outcomes set for their care plan and making revisions as needed. Choice A is incorrect as assigning a nursing diagnosis is part of the nursing diagnosis phase, not the evaluation phase. Choice B represents the assessment phase of the nursing process, not the evaluation phase. Choice D involves discussing the client's health history, which is more aligned with the assessment phase rather than the evaluation phase.

4. In a clinic in a primarily African American community, a higher incidence of uncontrolled hypertension is noted in patients. To correct this health disparity, what should the nurse do first?

• A. Initiate a regular home-visit program by clinic nurses.
• B. Schedule teaching sessions about low-salt diets at community events.
• C. Assess the perceptions of community members about the care at the clinic.
• D. Obtain low-cost antihypertensive drugs using government grant funding.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: To address the higher incidence of uncontrolled hypertension in the primarily African American community, the nurse should first assess the perceptions of community members about the care at the clinic. Understanding the community's perspective can provide valuable insights into the reasons behind the health disparity. Initiating a regular home-visit program or scheduling teaching sessions about low-salt diets are important interventions but should come after gathering information on community perceptions. Obtaining low-cost antihypertensive drugs is not the initial priority; understanding community perspectives is crucial for developing effective interventions.

5. The clinic nurse teaches a patient with a 42 pack-year history of cigarette smoking about lung disease. Which information will be most important for the nurse to include?

• A. Options for smoking cessation
• B. Reasons for annual sputum cytology testing
• C. Erlotinib (Tarceva) therapy to prevent tumor risk
• D. Computed tomography (CT) screening for lung cancer

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The most critical information for the nurse to provide to a patient with a significant smoking history is options for smoking cessation. Smoking is the primary cause of lung cancer, making smoking cessation essential in reducing the risk of developing the disease. Annual sputum cytology testing is not a standard screening test for lung cancer; instead, CT scanning is being explored for this purpose. Erlotinib therapy is used in lung cancer treatment but not for preventing tumor risk in individuals without cancer. CT screening for lung cancer is still under investigation and is not primarily aimed at prevention but rather early detection in high-risk individuals.

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