Nursing Elites

1. The nurse is caring postoperatively for an 8-year-old child with multiple fractures and other traumatic injuries from a motor vehicle crash. The child is experiencing severe pain. What is an important consideration in managing the child’s pain?

• A. Give only an opioid analgesic at this time.
• B. Increase the dosage of analgesic until the child is adequately sedated.
• C. Plan a preventive schedule of pain medication around the clock.
• D. Give the child a clock and explain when they can have pain medications.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: For severe postoperative pain, a preventive around-the-clock schedule is necessary to prevent decreased plasma levels of medications. Providing only an opioid analgesic at this time may not be sufficient for effective pain management. Increasing the dosage without an order is unsafe and may lead to oversedation. Planning a preventive schedule of pain medication around the clock ensures consistent pain relief and better management. Giving the child a clock and explaining when they can have pain medications may increase the child's focus on waiting for relief rather than addressing the pain promptly, making it a less effective strategy.

2. Which parameter correlates best with measurements of total muscle mass?

• A. Height
• B. Weight
• C. Skinfold thickness
• D. Upper arm circumference

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Upper arm circumference correlates best with total muscle mass because it includes both muscle and fat components, making it a reliable indicator of muscle mass.

3. A child who has just had definitive repair of a high rectal malformation is to be discharged. What should the nurse address in the discharge preparation of this family?

• A. Safe administration of daily enemas
• B. Necessity of firm stools to keep suture line clean
• C. Bowel training beginning as soon as the child returns home
• D. Changes in stooling patterns to report to the practitioner

Correct answer: D

Rationale: Postoperative care should focus on monitoring changes in stooling patterns, which could indicate complications such as stenosis or obstruction. It is crucial to educate the family on the importance of promptly reporting any changes in stooling patterns to the healthcare provider. Options A and B are not recommended unless specifically ordered by the physician as they can potentially cause harm or discomfort postoperatively. Option C may not be appropriate immediately after surgery and should be guided by the healthcare provider's recommendations.

4. When assessing an infant with intussusception, what type of stool would the nurse expect to find?

• A. Soft, seedy stool
• B. Currant-jelly stool
• C. Ribbon-like stool
• D. Soft and pasty stool

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Currant-jelly stool. This type of stool, which is red and mucous-like, is a classic sign of intussusception in infants. Choice A (Soft, seedy stool) is incorrect as it does not specifically describe the characteristic stool associated with intussusception. Choice C (Ribbon-like stool) is incorrect; ribbon-like stool may be seen in conditions like colon cancer, not intussusception. Choice D (Soft and pasty stool) is also incorrect as it does not match the typical stool finding in intussusception.

5. The mother of a child with type 1 diabetes asks the nurse why her child cannot avoid all those ‘shots’ and take pills like an uncle does. How should the nurse respond?

• A. The pills work with adult pancreases only.
• B. Your child needs insulin replaced, and the oral hypoglycemic only add to an existing supply of insulin.
• C. The drugs affect fat and protein metabolism, not sugar.
• D. Perhaps when your child is older the pancreas will produce its own insulin, and then your child can take oral hypoglycemic agents.

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B. Children with type 1 diabetes require insulin replacement because their pancreas produces little or no insulin. Oral hypoglycemics used in type 2 diabetes work by improving the effectiveness of insulin the body already makes, which is not sufficient in type 1 diabetes. Choice A is incorrect because the issue is not about the pancreas being adult or child-specific but rather the type of diabetes. Choice C is incorrect because it misstates the mechanism of action of the medications. Choice D is incorrect because it provides inaccurate information about the potential for the child's pancreas to produce insulin in the future, which is unlikely in type 1 diabetes.

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