A nurse is caring for a client who has chronic kidney failure. An assistive personnel reports that the client has a blood pressure of 190/110mm Hg. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
Report the blood pressure reading to the charge nurse.
Administer an antihypertensive medication.
Remeasure the client's blood pressure.
Instruct the client to remain in bed.
The Correct Answer is C
A. Report the blood pressure reading to the charge nurse: While notifying the charge nurse is important, the nurse should first validate the high reading by rechecking the blood pressure. Acting on a single, unverified reading could lead to unnecessary interventions or missed opportunities for accurate assessment.
B. Administer an antihypertensive medication: Administering antihypertensive medication based solely on a report without rechecking the blood pressure could be unsafe. Verification ensures that treatment is based on accurate clinical data and prevents unnecessary medication administration.
C. Remeasure the client's blood pressure: The first action should always be to recheck an unusually high or abnormal vital sign reading to confirm its accuracy. Errors can occur during measurement, and accurate confirmation is critical before proceeding with further interventions in a client with chronic kidney failure.
D. Instruct the client to remain in bed: While keeping the client in bed can help prevent complications if severe hypertension is confirmed, it is not the priority action. Verifying the blood pressure reading must occur first to determine the appropriate course of action.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","D"]
Explanation
- "Use sunglasses if your eyes are sensitive to light.": After thyroid surgery, especially if the client has Graves’ disease and associated exophthalmos, the eyes may remain sensitive to light. Wearing sunglasses helps protect the eyes from irritation and prevents further discomfort while healing progresses.
- "Continue eating foods with protein.": Maintaining adequate protein intake is important for healing after surgery. Protein supports tissue repair, immune function, and recovery, making it an essential part of the client’s postoperative nutrition plan.
- "Remain on bedrest for 3 to 5 days following discharge.": Prolonged bedrest after thyroid surgery is not recommended. Early ambulation helps prevent complications such as blood clots and promotes recovery. Clients are usually encouraged to resume light activities shortly after surgery.
- "You need to support your neck when coughing or moving.": After thyroidectomy, supporting the neck when coughing, sneezing, or repositioning helps protect the surgical site, reduces strain on the incision, and minimizes discomfort, promoting safer healing.
- "You will no longer need to take any medications for your thyroid now that you have had surgery.": This is incorrect because many clients require lifelong thyroid hormone replacement therapy after a thyroidectomy to maintain normal metabolic function, depending on how much thyroid tissue was removed.
Correct Answer is ["C","D"]
Explanation
- Hoarseness: Mild hoarseness is a common temporary effect after thyroid surgery due to irritation or swelling near the recurrent laryngeal nerve. While it needs monitoring, slight hoarseness alone is not necessarily a sign of a serious complication if it is not worsening or associated with airway compromise.
- Drainage: A moderate amount of serosanguineous drainage from the incision site is expected after surgery. Although the drainage should continue to be monitored for increase or color change, the amount described here is not immediately concerning for a postoperative complication.
- Sensation: The client reports tingling in the fingers, which suggests hypocalcemia due to accidental removal or damage to the parathyroid glands during surgery. Hypocalcemia is a serious complication of thyroidectomy that can progress to muscle cramps, tetany, and seizures if untreated.
- Vital signs: The client’s rising temperature, tachycardia, hypertension, and increased respiratory rate are concerning for a developing thyroid storm, a rare but life-threatening complication after thyroid surgery. These vital signs warrant immediate intervention to prevent rapid deterioration.
- Pain assessment: A pain score of 3 out of 10 is mild and expected following surgery. This level of discomfort is manageable and not indicative of a major complication, provided it does not rapidly escalate or localize severely around the surgical site.
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