Nursing Elites

1. Which parental statement would the nurse recognize as the appropriate application of time-out when disciplining a 4-year-old?

• A. I send my child to their bedroom for misbehaving.
• B. We limit time-out to 4 minutes per incident.
• C. Putting my child in a dark closet for time-out is very effective.
• D. I explain the reason for the time-out before and after disciplining my child.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is to explain the reason for the time-out before and after disciplining the child. This approach reinforces the child's association of the time-out with the undesirable behavior, helping the child learn to control those behaviors. Sending a child to their bedroom may lead to negative associations with bedtime or be ineffective if the child enjoys spending time in their bedroom. Time-out should ideally be limited to 1 minute per year of age, so a time-out for a 4-year-old should be limited to 4 minutes. Placing a child in a dark closet can create fear and damage the child's trust in their parents as a source of safety, making it an inappropriate and harmful approach. Even if this method seems effective in the short term, the potential long-term consequences outweigh any immediate benefits.

2. One week after being told that she has terminal cancer with a life expectancy of 3 weeks, a female client tells the nurse, 'I think I will plan a big party for all my friends.' How should the nurse respond?

• A. 'You may not have enough energy before long to hold a big party.'
• B. 'Do you mean to say that you want to plan your funeral and wake?'
• C. 'Planning a party and thinking about all your friends sounds like fun.'
• D. 'You should be thinking about spending your last days with your family.'

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Setting goals that bring pleasure is appropriate and should be encouraged by the nurse as long as the nurse does not perpetuate a client's denial. Option A is a negative response, implying that the client should not plan a party, which is not supportive. Option B is presumptive and may not reflect the client's true intentions. The correct response (Option C) acknowledges the client's positive plans and encourages her to enjoy her time with friends. Option D, while family is important, does not consider the client's wishes and choices, which should be respected and supported in this situation.

3. Before assessing a new patient, a nurse is told by another healthcare worker, "I know that patient. No matter how hard we work, there isn't much improvement by the time of discharge."? The nurse's responsibility is to:

• A. document the other worker's assessment of the patient.
• B. assess the patient based on data collected from all sources.
• C. validate the worker's impression by contacting the patient's significant other.
• D. discuss the worker's impression with the patient during the assessment interview

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is to assess the patient based on data collected from all sources. It is important for the nurse to gather information from various sources to form an objective assessment. Biased assessments by others should be evaluated as objectively as possible by the nurse, considering the potential impact of counter-transference. Documenting the other worker's assessment (Choice A) may be necessary for thorough documentation but should not influence the nurse's independent assessment. Validating the worker's impression by contacting the patient's significant other (Choice C) may not provide an accurate representation of the patient's condition. Discussing the worker's impression with the patient during the assessment interview (Choice D) can introduce bias and may not lead to an objective evaluation.

4. Which serum laboratory value should the nurse monitor carefully for a client who has a nasogastric (NG) tube to suction for the past week?

• A. White blood cell count
• B. Albumin
• C. Calcium
• D. Sodium

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The nurse should monitor the client's serum sodium levels carefully when they have been on nasogastric (NG) tube suction for an extended period. Prolonged NG suctioning can lead to fluid loss and subsequent hyponatremia. Monitoring sodium levels is crucial to prevent complications. White blood cell count (Option A), albumin (Option B), and calcium (Option C) are not typically affected by prolonged NG suctioning. Therefore, these values are not the priority for monitoring in this situation.

5. A client has been diagnosed with a form of terminal cancer and has started receiving hospice care. The nurse notes that both the client and his family avoid talking about the diagnosis. All attempts at discussion result in changing the subject. The nurse recognizes that this family is exhibiting:

• A. Closed awareness
• B. Mutual pretense
• C. Open awareness
• D. Powerless assessment

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Mutual pretense.' Mutual pretense is a form of awareness as a response to death or dying in which those involved avoid discussing the situation. In this scenario, both the client and the family are aware of the terminal cancer diagnosis, but they choose not to talk about it openly. This behavior can stem from various reasons, such as trying to shield loved ones from grief, fear of the future, or discomfort with discussing emotions. 'Closed awareness' (Choice A) refers to a lack of awareness of the impending death, which is not the case here. 'Open awareness' (Choice C) involves open acknowledgment and discussion of the terminal illness, which is contrary to the behavior described. 'Powerless assessment' (Choice D) does not relate to the situation of avoiding discussing the diagnosis in the context of terminal cancer and hospice care.

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