The nurse enters a client's room to administer oral medications and finds an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) providing personal care to the client, whose condition has obviously deteriorated. The client is lying in a supine position and is weak, pale, and diaphoretic. Which is the priority nursing action?

Advise the UAP to stop providing care so the nurse can assess the client's condition.

Determine why the UAP did not notify the nurse of the change in the client's condition.

Ask the UAP to position the client so the oral medications can be administered.

Explain to the UAP that changes in a client's condition should be reported immediately.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is A

A. Advise the UAP to stop providing care so the nurse can assess the client's condition: The client shows signs of acute deterioration, which may indicate a life-threatening event. Immediate assessment takes priority over continuing routine tasks or delegating care.

B. Determine why the UAP did not notify the nurse of the change in the client's condition: Investigating the UAP’s actions is important for accountability and education but is secondary to addressing the client’s urgent medical needs.

C. Ask the UAP to position the client so the oral medications can be administered: Administering medications is not the priority when the client is unstable. Ensuring patient safety and assessing the acute condition comes first.

D. Explain to the UAP that changes in a client's condition should be reported immediately: Educating the UAP is necessary to prevent future incidents but does not address the immediate need to evaluate and stabilize the deteriorating client.

Nursing Test Bank

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

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Free Nursing Study Resources

Correct Answer is ["A","B","F","G"]

Explanation

Rationale for correct choices

• Heart rate 128 beats/minute, sinus tachycardia: Tachycardia signals early compensatory response to hypovolemia or hemorrhagic shock, common with abdominal trauma. Immediate attention is needed to prevent cardiovascular collapse.
• Blood pressure 90/79 mm Hg, pulse pressure less than 40 mm Hg: A narrow pulse pressure with low systolic BP suggests inadequate stroke volume and poor perfusion, consistent with ongoing internal bleeding.
• Capillary refill 6 seconds: Prolonged refill indicates impaired peripheral perfusion and circulatory compromise, reinforcing concerns of shock.
• No urine output: Absence of urine is a critical marker of inadequate renal perfusion and systemic hypoperfusion, reflecting worsening shock status.

Rationale for incorrect choices

• Temperature 96.9° F (36.1° C): Slightly low but not critical; mild hypothermia is common post-trauma and can be managed after stabilizing perfusion.
• Surgical dressing clean/dry with ecchymosis: Ecchymosis is expected after trauma and surgery, requiring monitoring but not immediate intervention.
• Heart sounds regular, lung sounds clear: No acute cardiopulmonary decompensation detected.

A. "When did these voices begin?" B. "Have you taken any hallucinogens?" C. "Are you planning to obey the voices?" D. "Do you believe the voices are real?"

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

A. “When did these voices begin?”: While establishing the onset and history of auditory hallucinations is important for diagnosis and planning care, it does not immediately address the potential risk for harm or violence.

B. “Have you taken any hallucinogens?”: Substance use can contribute to hallucinations, but asking this first delays identifying an immediate safety risk posed by the command hallucinations.

C. “Are you planning to obey the voices?”: Command hallucinations telling someone to harm others represent a critical safety risk. Assessing the client’s intent to act on these commands is the priority to ensure safety for the client and others.

D. “Do you believe the voices are real?”: Exploring the client’s perception of reality is relevant for treatment but is secondary to assessing immediate danger associated with violent command hallucinations.

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Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

Correct Answer is ["A","B","F","G"]

Explanation

A college student brings a dorm roommate to the campus clinic because the roommate has been talking to someone who is not present. The client tells the nurse that the voices are saying, "Kill, kill." Which question should the nurse ask the client next?

Correct Answer is C

Explanation

When performing suctioning for a client with a tracheostomy, which action should the nurse include?

Which task should the nurse delegate to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

Before leaving the room of a client who is confused, the nurse observes that a half bow knot was used to attach the client's wrist restraints to the movable portion of the client's bed frame. Which action should the nurse take before leaving the room?

A client receives a prescription for itraconazole. Which statement made by the client requires additional instruction by the nurse?

The nurse notes that a client with depression has been more withdrawn and noncommunicative during the past two weeks. Which intervention is most important to include in the updated plan of care for this client?

The nurse applies a blood pressure cuff around a client's left thigh. To measure the client's blood pressure, where should the diaphragm of the stethoscope be placed? (Mark the location on one of the images.)