A nurse on a medical-surgical unit is caring for a patient who is also a hospital employee. Several nurses have called seeking information about the patient.
What should the nurse do in response to these inquiries?
Refer Questions to the nursing supervisor
Transfer calls directly to the patient’s room
Acknowledge that the person is a patient on the unit, but give no specific details about the patient’s condition
Contact the patient’s provider
The Correct Answer is C
Rationale for Choice A:
Refer Questions to the Nursing Supervisor:
While it's essential to involve the nursing supervisor in situations that require their expertise or authority, it's not always necessary for basic inquiries about a patient's presence on the unit.
Disadvantages of referring calls to the nursing supervisor in this scenario:
It could delay the dissemination of essential information to concerned colleagues.
It could increase the workload of the nursing supervisor, potentially diverting their attention from more critical tasks. It could create a perception of a lack of transparency or openness among staff members.
Rationale for Choice B:
Transfer calls directly to the patient’s room:
Transferring calls directly to a patient's room without their consent breaches their privacy and confidentiality. It could also place undue stress on the patient, especially if they are not prepared to receive calls or discuss their health status.
Disadvantages of transferring calls directly to the patient’s room:
It violates the patient's right to privacy and confidentiality. It could disrupt the patient's rest and recovery.
It could place the patient in an uncomfortable position of having to answer questions about their health when they may not feel ready to do so.
Rationale for Choice C:
Acknowledge that the person is a patient on the unit, but give no specific details about the patient’s condition:
This approach strikes a balance between protecting the patient's privacy and providing necessary information to concerned colleagues. It verifies the patient's presence on the unit without disclosing any sensitive details about their health, thus adhering to ethical and legal guidelines.
Advantages of acknowledging the patient’s presence without providing details:
Respects the patient's right to privacy and confidentiality. Aligns with ethical and legal principles of healthcare.
Provides basic information to concerned colleagues without compromising patient information. Helps to establish trust and transparency among staff members.
Rationale for Choice D:
Contact the patient’s provider:
Contacting the patient's provider for every inquiry about the patient's presence is not practical or efficient. It could overburden the provider and delay the relay of information to concerned colleagues.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Naloxone does not have any direct effect on respiratory secretions. It works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and reversing the effects of opioids, such as respiratory depression.
While opioids can cause a decrease in respiratory secretions, this is not the primary reason for administering naloxone.
It is important to note that naloxone can actually worsen respiratory secretions in some patients, particularly those with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other respiratory conditions.
Choice B rationale:
Naloxone is a medication that is specifically designed to block the effects of opioids on the central nervous system (CNS).
It is a competitive antagonist, which means that it binds to opioid receptors in the brain and prevents opioids from binding to those receptors.
This can reverse the effects of opioids, such as respiratory depression, sedation, and hypotension.
Naloxone is often used to treat opioid overdose, but it can also be used to prevent opioid-induced respiratory depression in patients who are receiving opioids for pain relief.
Choice C rationale:
Naloxone is not effective in treating nausea.
In fact, it can actually worsen nausea in some patients.
This is because naloxone can block the effects of opioids in the brain, and opioids can sometimes have a nausea-relieving effect.
Choice D rationale:
Naloxone is not effective in treating urinary retention.
Urinary retention is a common side effect of opioids, but it is not caused by the effects of opioids on the CNS. Urinary retention is typically caused by the effects of opioids on the bladder muscles.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Rationale for Choice A:
Diuretics promote fluid loss, increasing the risk of fluid volume deficit.
Heart failure can lead to fluid retention, but diuretic therapy is often used to manage this excess fluid.
However, in this case, the patient is receiving diuretic therapy, which suggests that their fluid status is being actively managed.
Therefore, while this patient is at risk for fluid volume deficit, they are not the most likely candidate among the options presented.
Rationale for Choice B:
Gastroenteritis can lead to fluid loss through vomiting and diarrhea.
However, this patient is receiving oral fluids, which helps to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes.
As long as the patient is able to tolerate oral fluids and is not experiencing excessive fluid losses, they are not at significant risk for fluid volume deficit.
Rationale for Choice C:
End-stage kidney disease can impair the kidneys' ability to regulate fluid balance.
However, dialysis is a treatment that helps to remove excess fluid and waste products from the body.
Therefore, while this patient is at risk for fluid volume imbalances, they are receiving treatment to manage this risk.
Rationale for Choice D:
NPO status means that the patient has been instructed to have nothing by mouth. This means that the patient has not been able to consume any fluids since midnight.
Even in the absence of excessive fluid losses, this prolonged period of fluid restriction can lead to dehydration and fluid volume deficit.
Therefore, this patient is the most likely to be experiencing fluid volume deficit among the options presented.
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