A nurse working on a medical-surgical unit is notified about a mass casualty event that recently took place in the community.
Which of the following assignments should the nurse anticipate?
Assist in discharging stable clients to home.
Determine the acuity and number of casualties arriving at the facility.
Delegate tasks to emergency health care specialists.
Provide informational updates to members of the media.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A rationale: In a mass casualty event, the hospital must rapidly create capacity for incoming victims. Discharging stable clients who no longer require acute care is a primary nursing responsibility to free up beds and resources.
Choice B rationale: Determining the acuity and number of incoming casualties is typically the role of a triage officer or the incident commander at the scene or hospital entrance, not a floor nurse on a medical-surgical unit.
Choice C rationale: Delegating tasks to specialists or coordinating the overall medical response is the responsibility of the medical director or the designated leader in the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), not the staff nurse.
Choice D rationale: Communication with the media is strictly handled by the Public Information Officer (PIO) to ensure accuracy and maintain client confidentiality. Staff nurses are prohibited from providing unauthorized updates to external media outlets.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Use a peak flow meter to assess the respiratory status. Assessing the client's respiratory status using a peak flow meter is the most appropriate next action after administering albuterol, a bronchodilator. It helps determine the client's lung function and response to the medication. This information guides further interventions and treatment decisions.
Choice B rationale:
Administer a stat dose of corticosteroids. Administering corticosteroids may be indicated in some cases of respiratory distress or exacerbation of asthma. However, it should not be the immediate next step after albuterol administration. Assessing the client's response to albuterol through lung function testing (peak flow) is essential before deciding on additional medications.
Choice C rationale:
Document the normal finding in the client's health record. Documenting normal findings is important for maintaining accurate medical records, but in this case, it is premature. The nurse should first assess the client's response to albuterol and ensure that the respiratory status is indeed normal before documenting the findings.
Choice D rationale:
Repeat a dose of the client's rescue drug. Administering another dose of the rescue drug (albuterol) without assessing the client's response and lung function would not be the most appropriate action. It is essential to determine whether the initial dose was effective before considering additional doses or alternative treatments.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Obtaining a urine specimen for analysis is an important step in the assessment of the client with renal calculi. However, it is not the most immediate intervention when the client is experiencing severe flank pain and hematuria. Pain management should take precedence.
Choice B rationale:
This is the correct answer. Severe flank pain in a client with renal calculi is indicative of renal colic, which is typically excruciating. Administering a prescribed opioid analgesic is the priority to relieve the client's pain and distress.
Choice C rationale:
Straining the urine for the presence of stones is an essential nursing intervention to identify and collect any passed stones. However, it is not the most immediate action when the client is in severe pain. Pain management is the priority.
Choice D rationale:
Preparing the client for a prescribed computed tomography (CT) scan is an important diagnostic step to assess the location and size of the renal calculi. However, it is not the most immediate intervention when the client is in severe pain and distress. Pain management should come first.
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