A client is admitted following a motor vehicle collision.

When assessing the client's level of consciousness, the nurse notes that the client no longer responds to commands.

The nurse initiates a painful stimulus and the client responds by pulling the arms inward with elbows and wrists flexed and extending the legs with the toes pointed downward.

Which action should the nurse implement?

Report the finding to the healthcare provider.

Document the purposeful response to pain.

Initiate seizure precautions immediately.

Administer a prescribed PRN analgesic.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

Choice A rationale:

Reporting the finding to the healthcare provider is important when the client no longer responds to commands and exhibits a specific response to pain. However, it should not be the first action. The nurse's initial response should be to assess and document the client's neurological status and response to pain to provide accurate information to the healthcare provider.

Choice B rationale:

Documenting the purposeful response to pain is the correct initial action in this scenario. The client's response, which involves pulling the arms inward with elbows and wrists flexed and extending the legs with the toes pointed downward, is known as decerebrate posturing. It is a specific neurological response to painful stimuli and may indicate a brain injury. Documenting this response is crucial for the client's medical record and helps the healthcare provider assess the severity of the neurological injury.

Choice C rationale:

Initiating seizure precautions immediately is not the first action to take in this scenario. While the client's response to pain may resemble posturing seen in seizures, it is more indicative of a neurological injury or dysfunction. Further assessment and evaluation are needed before implementing seizure precautions.

Choice D rationale:

Administering a prescribed PRN analgesic is not the first action to take when the client exhibits decerebrate posturing in response to pain. This response indicates a neurological issue or injury that requires assessment and evaluation. Administering pain medication without a clear understanding of the underlying cause may not be appropriate and could potentially mask important neurological signs.

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

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Correct Answer is A

Explanation

When a client refuses to look at their mastectomy incision and refuses to talk about it, the best response by the practical nurse (PN) is to respect the client's autonomy and validate their feelings. Option a) acknowledges the client's discomfort and provides reassurance that it is okay for them to decline looking or talking about the incision at the moment. It also oﬀers support by letting the client know that the incision will be available for examination when they feel ready to do so.

Let's evaluate the other options:

b) "Would you like me to call another nurse to be here while I show you the wound?"
This response assumes that the client needs someone else present to address their refusal to look at the incision. While having another nurse present may be helpful for some clients, it is not the appropriate first response. Respecting the client's autonomy and providing support should be the initial approach.

c) "Part of recovery is accepting your new body image, and you will need to look at your incision."
This response may come across as directive and insensitive. It implies that the client must look at their incision as part of their recovery process, disregarding their feelings and personal choices. It is important to respect the client's autonomy and allow them to navigate their own healing journey at their own pace.

d) "You will feel beter when you see that the incision is not as bad as you may think."
This response invalidates the client's feelings and assumes that their concerns about the incision are unfounded. It is essential to respect the client's emotions and validate their experience rather than dismissing or minimizing their concerns.

In summary, when a client refuses to look at their mastectomy incision and refuses to talk about it, the best response by the practical nurse (PN) is to acknowledge the client's discomfort, respect their autonomy, and provide reassurance that it is okay for them to decline looking or talking about the incision at that moment. The client's readiness to address the incision should be honored, and support should be oﬀered when they are ready.

A. Gather information regarding how long it will take for the children to arrive. B. Explain that the client will start to lose consciousness and the body systems will slow down. C. Offer to discuss the client's health status with each of the adult children. D. Reassure the spouse that the healthcare provider will notify when to call the children.

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

Choice B rationale:

Explaining that the client will start to lose consciousness and the body systems will slow down is the best response. This is a common pattern in the dying process, and it provides the wife with a clear and compassionate explanation of what to expect as her husband's death approaches.

Choice A rationale:

Gathering information regarding how long it will take for the children to arrive is important but does not address the immediate need for information on the dying process.

Choice C rationale:

Offering to discuss the client's health status with each of the adult children is a good approach for involving them in their father's care but does not provide the immediate information the wife is seeking.

Choice D rationale:

Reassuring the spouse that the healthcare provider will notify when to call the children does not offer information about the dying process itself, which is what the wife is interested in understanding.

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Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

At the first dressing change, the practical nurse (PN) tells the client that her mastectomy incision is healing well, but the client refuses to look at the incision and refuses to talk about it. Which response by the PN to the client's silence is best?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

An adult male was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer three weeks ago. His wife approaches the nurse and asks how she will know that her husband's death is imminent because their two adult children want to be there when he dies. Which is the best response by the nurse?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

After an increase in the number of suicides in a community, the nurse is developing a class for adolescents about mental health. Which type of activity should the nurse include in the teaching?

A client asks a nurse about the differences between major depressive disorder (MDD) and dysthymia. Which of the following responses by the nurse is accurate?

A nurse is establishing a therapeutic relationship with a client with anxiety disorder. What is the primary goal of this intervention?

The practical nurse (PN) observes a newly hired unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) who is counting a client's radial pulse as seen in the picture. Which action should the PN take?

A client tells the nurse about beginning an exercise program a month ago to lose weight and improve sleep. The client states that it still takes at least two hours to fall asleep at night. Which action should the nurse implement?

After an unsuccessful resuscitation attempt, the nurse calls the family of the deceased. The family wish to see the body before it is taken to the funeral home. Which intervention(s) should the nurse take to prepare the body before the family enters the room? (Select all that apply.).

The practical nurse (PN) learns that a client who is receiving chemotherapy has developed stomatitis. Which information should the PN obtain from the client during a focused assessment?

The practical nurse (PN) is assessing an older client with left-sided heart failure (HF). What intervention is most important for the PN to implement?