Professional Documents
Culture Documents
encourage activity.
encourage high protein intake.
maintain fluid balance.
teach intermittent urinary catheterization.
2. Nursing diagnoses mostly differ from medical diagnoses in that they are:
dependent upon medical diagnoses for the direction of appropriate interventions.
primarily concerned with caring, while medical diagnoses are primarily concerned with curing.
primarily concerned with human response, while medical diagnoses are primarily concerned with
pathology.
primarily concerned with psychosocial parameters, while medical diagnoses are primarily
concerned with physiologic parameters.
3. A patient who received spinal anesthesia four hours ago during surgery is
transferred to the surgical unit and, after one and a half hours, now reports severe
incisional pain. The patient's blood pressure is 170/90 mm Hg, pulse is 108
beats/min, temperature is 99oF (37.2oC), and respirations are 30 breaths/min. The
patient's skin is pale, and the surgical dressing is dry and intact. The most
appropriate nursing intervention is to:
medicate the patient for pain.
place the patient in a high Fowler position and administer oxygen.
place the patient in a reverse Trendelenburg position and open the IV line.
report the findings to the provider.
6. A 78-year-old patient is scheduled for transition to home after treatment for heart
disease. The patient's spouse, who has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, plans
to care for the patient at home. The spouse says that their grown children, who live
nearby, will help. The best approach to discharge planning is to:
arrange nursing home placement for the couple.
consult the spouse's healthcare provider about the spouse's ability to care for the patient.
contact the children to ascertain their commitment to help.
discuss community resources with the spouse and offer to make referrals.
7. During an assessment of a patient who sustained a head injury 24 hours ago, the
medical-surgical nurse notes the development of slurred speech and disorientation to
time and place. The nurse's initial action is to:
continue the hourly neurologic assessments.
inform the neurosurgeon of the patient's status.
prepare the patient for emergency surgery.
9. An 80-year-old patient is placed in isolation when infected with methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus. The patient was alert and oriented on admission,
but is now having visual hallucinations and can follow only simple directions. The
medical-surgical nurse recognizes that the changes in the patient's mental status are
related to:
a fluid and electrolyte imbalance.
a stimulating environment.
sensory deprivation.
sundowning.
10. To prepare a patient on the unit for a bronchoscopic procedure, a medicalsurgical nurse administers the IV sedative. The medical-surgical nurse then instructs
the licensed practical nurse to:
educate the patient about the pending procedure.
give the patient small sips of water only.
measure the patient's blood pressure and pulse readings.
take the patient to the bathroom one more time.
Bronchial constriction
Decreased cortisol levels
Peripheral vasodilation
Sodium and water retention
12. A patient's family does not know the patient's end-of-life care preferences, but
assumes that they know what is best for the patient under the circumstances. This
assumption reflects:
justice.
paternalism.
pragmatism.
veracity.
14. Which action occurs primarily during the evaluation phase of the nursing
process?
Data collection
Decision-making and judgment
Priority-setting and expected outcomes
17. A medical-surgical nurse, who is caring for a patient with a new diagnosis of
cancer, observes the patient becoming angry with the physicians and nursing staff.
The best approach to diffuse the emotionally charged discussion is to:
allow the patient and family members time to be alone.
arrange time for the patient to speak with another patient with cancer.
direct the discussion and validation of emotion, without false reassurance.
request a consultation from a social worker on the oncology unit.
18. It is hospital policy to assess and record a patient's pulse before administering
digoxin (Lanoxin). By auditing the nursing records to determine the frequency of
compliance with this policy, the quality assessment and improvement committee is
conducting:
a process analysis.
a quality analysis.
a system analysis.
an outcome analysis.
19. The nursing diagnosis for a patient with a myocardial infarction is activity
intolerance. The plan of care includes the patient outcome criterion of:
agreeing to discontinue smoking.
ambulating 50 feet without experiencing dyspnea.
experiencing no dyspnea on exertion.
tolerating activity well.
20. A nursing department in an acute care setting decides to redesign its nursing
practice based on a theoretical framework. The feedback from patients, families, and
staff reflects that caring is a key element. Which theorist best supports this concept?
Erikson
Maslow
Rogers
Watson
22. For a patient with Crohn's disease, the medical-surgical nurse recommends a diet
that is:
high in fiber, and low in protein and calories.
high in potassium.
low in fiber, and high in protein and calories.
low in potassium.
23. When examining a patient who is paralyzed below the T4 level, the medicalsurgical nurse expects to find:
flaccidity of the upper extremities.
hyperreflexia and spasticity of the upper extremities.
impaired diaphragmatic function requiring ventilator support.
independent use of upper extremities and efficient cough.
25. The first step in applying the quality improvement process to an activity in a
clinical setting is to: