A client with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) smokes two packs of cigarettes per day and is admitted to the hospital for a respiratory infection. The client reports difficulty controlling respiratory distress at home when using the rescue inhaler. Which comment from the client indicates to the nurse that the client is not using the inhaler properly?

An unresponsive victim of a diving accident is brought to the emergency department where it is determined that immediate surgery is required to save the client's life. The client is accompanied by a close friend, but no family members are available. Which action should the nurse take first?

Patient Data

Click to highlight the assessment findings that require immediate follow up by the nurse.

Client is admitted to the medical floor. She has mild subcostal retractions and is sitting in an upright position. Wheezes are noted throughout the lung fields. The client is pale. She has strong peripheral pulses that are equal bilaterally. Her heart rate is 122 beats/minute, blood pressure 134/85 mm Hg, oxygen saturation 91% on room air.

A newly hired unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) is assigned to a home healthcare team along with two experienced UAPS. Which intervention should the home health nurse implement to ensure adequate care for all clients?

The nurse is caring for four clients:

• Client A, who has emphysema and whose oxygen saturation is 94% on room air;
• Client B, with a postoperative hemoglobin of 8.2 mg/dL (82 g/L);
• Client C, newly admitted with a potassium level of 3.8 mEq/L (3.8 mmol/L);
• Client D, scheduled for an appendectomy who has a white blood cell (WBC) count of 14,000 mm3 (14 x 109/L).

Which intervention should the nurse implement?Reference Range:

• Hemoglobin [14 to 18 g/dL (140 to 180 g/L)]
• Potassium [3.5 to 5.0 mEq/L (3.5 to 5.0 mmol/L)]
• White Blood Cell [5,000 to 10,000/mm3 (5 to 10 x 109/L)]

The nurse on the medical-surgical unit is receiving a transfer report from the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) nurse for a client who had an exploratory laparotomy.

The PACU nurse provides the following information: "1,000 mL 0.9% sodium chloride is infusing at 125 mL/hr into the left wrist with 600 mL remaining. Ondansetron 4 mg IV every 8 hours is prescribed for nausea. The last dose was administered at 0700. The client is currently describing pain at a level 2 on a 0 to 10 pain scale. The client has a prescription for hydromorphone 1 mg IV every 2 hours PRN for pain. The last dose was administered at 1000."

Which additional information should the PACU nurse report?

A client who weighs 132 lb receives a prescription for lorazepam 44 mcg/kg IV to be administer 20 minutes before a scheduled procedure. The medication is available in 2 mg/mL vial. How many mL should the nurse administer?

(Enter numerical value only. If rounding is required, round to the nearest tenth.)

A client with septic shock develops disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Which pathophysiologic process should the nurse recognize as the cause of the coagulation problem?