A nurse manager is planning to teach staff about critical pathways. Which of the following information should the nurse plan to include?
Critical pathways-should reduce health care costs.
Nurses should discontinue the critical pathway if variances occur.
Critical pathways have an unlimited timeframe for completion.
Nurses' notes are used to create the critical pathway.
The Correct Answer is A
A. Critical pathways should reduce health care costs. Critical pathways, also known as clinical pathways or care maps, are evidence-based, multidisciplinary plans that outline expected care and outcomes for specific conditions. They aim to improve care efficiency, reduce complications, and lower healthcare costs by standardizing care.
B. Nurses should discontinue the critical pathway if variances occur. Variances—deviations from the expected pathway—are documented and analyzed, not a reason to discontinue the pathway. They help identify areas for improvement or necessary adjustments in patient care.
C. Critical pathways have an unlimited timeframe for completion. Critical pathways are time-bound, with specific goals and milestones to be met within a set timeframe based on typical recovery patterns for the condition being treated.
D. Nurses' notes are used to create the critical pathway. Critical pathways are developed using evidence-based guidelines, expert consensus, and clinical research, not individual nurses’ progress notes. However, nurses do document progress and variances within the pathway.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","B","C","D","E","F","G","H"]
Explanation
- Client reports feeling unwell: This is clinically significant when combined with fever, foul-smelling lochia, and elevated WBCs; it could indicate systemic infection such as endometritis.
- Fundus boggy but firms with massage: Indicates uterine atony, a risk factor for postpartum hemorrhage. Even if it responds to massage, repeated bogginess suggests the need for uterotonic medications and close monitoring.
- Foul-smelling, dark brown lochia: These findings are highly suggestive of uterine infection (endometritis), especially when paired with uterine tenderness, fever, and elevated WBCs.
- WBC count 33,000/mm³: Severely elevated — well above normal postpartum leukocytosis (typically up to 20,000/mm³). A level of 33,000 strongly suggests an ongoing infectious process.
- Temperature 38.2°C (100.8°F): Slightly elevated, and while low-grade fever is common postpartum, when associated with uterine tenderness and abnormal lochia, it raises concern for infection and should be monitored and managed appropriately.
- Lung sounds diminished in the bases: Could be due to post-surgical hypoventilation, immobility, or atelectasis. Should prompt encouragement of deep breathing, incentive spirometry, and ambulation.
- No bowel movement since birth, hypoactive bowel sounds: This is a common post-cesarean finding due to anesthesia and immobility, but it still indicates delayed return of GI function and should be monitored for signs of ileus.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. "You should make sure your partner takes the prescribed medication." While medication adherence is important, this response shifts the focus to advice-giving rather than exploring the partner’s emotions or current experience, which limits therapeutic communication.
B. "You did the right thing by bringing your partner in for treatment." Although supportive, this statement closes off the conversation and doesn’t invite the partner to share more about their feelings or the situation at home.
C. "Can you talk about what was happening with your partner at home?" This open-ended, therapeutic response encourages the partner to express their thoughts and emotions, facilitating a better understanding of the client’s condition and the impact it has had on the family.
D. "Why do you think your partner's symptoms are progressing so quickly?" Asking “why” can feel accusatory or put the partner on the defensive. It may also imply blame, which is not helpful in building trust or gathering therapeutic insight.
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