Nursing Elites

1. The healthcare professional is caring for a client with a chest tube. What is the most important action for the healthcare professional to take to ensure the chest tube is functioning properly?

• A. Milk the chest tube to ensure patency.
• B. Clamp the chest tube when moving the client.
• C. Ensure the water seal chamber is filled to the appropriate level.
• D. Secure the chest tube to the client's bed.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Ensuring the water seal chamber is filled to the appropriate level is crucial to maintain the effectiveness of the chest tube drainage system. This step helps prevent air from entering the pleural space, ensuring proper lung re-expansion. 'Milking' the chest tube is not recommended as it can cause damage to the chest tube and surrounding tissues. Clamping the chest tube is not advisable as it can lead to tension pneumothorax. Securing the chest tube to the bed is important for stability but does not directly impact the functioning of the chest tube.

2. A client diagnosed with a terminal illness asks the nurse about the nurse’s religious beliefs related to death and dying. An appropriate nursing response is to:

• A. Share personal beliefs
• B. Encourage the client to express their thoughts about death and dying
• C. Redirect the conversation to medical treatment
• D. Inform the client that the nurse’s beliefs are not relevant

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Encouraging the client to express their own thoughts about death and dying is an appropriate nursing response in this situation. It allows the client to explore and express their feelings, fears, and beliefs, facilitating a therapeutic conversation. Sharing personal beliefs (choice A) may not be appropriate as it could impose the nurse's beliefs on the client and hinder open discussion. Redirecting the conversation to medical treatment (choice C) may avoid addressing the client's emotional and spiritual needs. Informing the client that the nurse’s beliefs are not relevant (choice D) dismisses the client's concerns and does not encourage open communication.

3. The nurse is providing wound care to a client with a stage 3 pressure ulcer that has a large amount of eschar. The wound care prescription states 'clean the wound and then apply collagenase.' Collagenase is a debriding agent. The prescription does not specify a cleaning method. Which technique should the nurse use to cleanse the pressure ulcer?

• A. Lightly coat the wound with povidone-iodine solution
• B. Irrigate the wound with sterile normal saline
• C. Flush the wound with sterile hydrogen peroxide
• D. Remove the eschar with a wet-to-dry dressing

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Irrigating the wound with sterile normal saline is the correct technique for cleansing a wound when the prescription does not specify a cleaning method. Sterile normal saline is a standard and safe solution that helps to remove debris and promote healing without damaging healthy tissue. Choice A, using povidone-iodine solution, can be cytotoxic and delay wound healing. Choice C, using hydrogen peroxide, can be cytotoxic, cause tissue damage, and delay wound healing. Choice D, using wet-to-dry dressing to remove eschar, is an outdated and non-selective method that can cause trauma to the wound bed and delay healing. Therefore, choice B is the best option for wound cleansing in this scenario.

4. A client has acute renal failure. Which of the following assessments provides the most accurate measure of the client's fluid status?

• A. Daily weight
• B. Intake and output
• C. Urine specific gravity
• D. Peripheral edema

Correct answer: A

Rationale: Daily weight is the most accurate measure of fluid status in a client with acute renal failure. Fluctuations in weight reflect changes in body fluid volume, including both fluid retention or loss. Intake and output, while important, may not always accurately reflect overall fluid status as it does not account for insensible losses. Urine specific gravity can provide information on urine concentration but does not offer a comprehensive assessment of overall fluid status. Peripheral edema, although a sign of fluid retention, is a more subjective assessment and may not always accurately reflect the client's fluid status like daily weight monitoring does.

5. A group of newly licensed nurses is being taught about the Braden Scale by a nurse. Which of the following responses by a newly licensed nurse indicates an understanding of the teaching?

• A. “The client’s age is not a factor in the measurement.”
• B. “The scale measures six elements.”
• C. “A lower score indicates a higher risk of pressure ulcers.”
• D. “Each element is scored on a range from 1 to 4 points.”

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Choice B is the correct answer because the Braden Scale measures six elements: Sensory Perception, Moisture, Activity, Mobility, Nutrition, Friction, and Shear. The other choices are incorrect because: Choice A states that the client's age is not a factor in the measurement, which is accurate as age is not included in the Braden Scale. Choice C incorrectly states that a lower score indicates a higher risk of pressure ulcers, which is the opposite of how the Braden Scale works. Choice D inaccurately describes the scoring range of each element on the Braden Scale, which is not from 1 to 4 points but rather from 1 to 3.

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