An older adult client, who is insulin-dependent, arrives at the diabetic clinic with concerns of thick, crusty, and long toenails that are piercing the adjacent toes. Which action should the nurse take?
Cut the nails straight across, then soak the feet for 10 minutes in an antibiotic solution.
Check the client’s feet for cuts or injury, then refer to a foot specialist for nail trimming.
Soak the feet in warm water for 5 minutes, then cut the nails straight across.
Advise the client to soften the nails with lotion prior to cutting them.
The Correct Answer is B
Choice A reason: Cutting nails and soaking in antibiotic solution risks infection in insulin-dependent diabetes, where neuropathy impairs sensation and healing. Thick nails may be fungal, needing specialist care. Checking for injuries and referring to a podiatrist ensures safe management, preventing ulcers in high-risk diabetic feet.
Choice B reason: Checking for cuts assesses diabetic foot risk, as neuropathy and poor glycemic control impair healing. Thick nails piercing toes require podiatrist trimming to prevent trauma or infection. Referral ensures expert care, addressing pathophysiological risks of neuropathy and vascular impairment, preventing serious complications like ulcers.
Choice C reason: Soaking and cutting nails is risky in diabetes, as neuropathy increases injury risk, and warm water may introduce infection in unnoticed wounds. Fungal nails need specialist care. Referral to a podiatrist ensures safe trimming, preventing infection in compromised feet, making this action unsafe.
Choice D reason: Advising lotion to soften nails does not mitigate injury risk from trimming thick nails in diabetes. Neuropathy and poor healing increase infection risk from errors. Specialist referral ensures safe nail management, preventing trauma or ulceration, critical in diabetic foot care due to vascular deficits.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
Choice A reason: Depression involves social withdrawal, driven by low serotonin or dopamine. Encouraging the client to leave the room and engage socially stimulates oxytocin release and cognitive behavioral benefits, counteracting isolation. This therapeutic approach enhances mood and aligns with depression management goals, making it the most effective response.
Choice B reason: Calling TV a passive activity is partially true but less therapeutic, as it doesn’t directly promote social engagement. Depression treatment prioritizes interpersonal interaction to boost neurotransmitters like serotonin. This response misses the opportunity to encourage social therapy, critical for alleviating depressive symptoms in a mental health setting.
Choice C reason: Suggesting TV sends messages is inappropriate without psychotic symptoms, not indicated in this client’s depression. Depression involves low mood, not delusions. This could confuse or stigmatize, failing to promote social engagement, which is essential for improving mood via neurochemical and behavioral pathways in depression management.
Choice D reason: Allowing unlimited TV outside the room does not address depression’s social isolation. Excessive TV may reinforce withdrawal, reducing therapeutic group activities that enhance serotonin. This lacks focus on active engagement, critical for recovery, making it less effective than encouraging social interaction to improve mental health outcomes.
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
Choice A reason: Withholding the dose delays glucose control, risking hyperglycemia. Obtaining regular insulin ensures accurate dosing, as 70/30 cannot be separated. Timely administration is critical, per diabetes management and insulin therapy protocols in nursing practice for glycemic control.
Choice B reason: Withdrawing regular insulin from a 70/30 vial is impossible, as it’s a fixed mixture. Obtaining a regular insulin vial ensures precise 10-unit dosing, preventing errors, per medication safety and insulin administration standards in diabetes nursing care.
Choice C reason: Pulling 30 units of 70/30 and giving one third is unsafe, as it delivers mixed insulins, not just regular insulin. Obtaining regular insulin ensures accurate dosing, per insulin therapy and patient safety protocols in diabetes management nursing practice.
Choice D reason: Obtaining a new vial of regular insulin ensures the precise 10-unit dose, as 70/30 is a fixed mixture unsuitable for separating regular insulin. This prevents dosing errors, per evidence-based insulin administration and medication safety standards in diabetes nursing care.
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