Review Med Surg Exam ( Critical Care Regular Exam)

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Med Surg Exam ( Critical Care Regular Exam)

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Total Questions : 83

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Question 1:

A client arrives on the cardiac unit from the emergency room with a diagnosis of heart failure exacerbation. The nurse receives the client who is acutely short of breath with respiratory rate of 40, pulse oximetry 85%, blood pressure 150/90, and lower extremity swelling. What intervention or action should the nurse take first?

A. Ensure the client is sitting in an upright position. B. Call the respiratory therapist in anticipation of intubating the client. C. Prepare to place a Foley catheter in anticipation of giving Lasix. D. Apply oxygen.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Sitting upright improves breathing but doesn’t address the critical hypoxia indicated by 85% pulse oximetry. Applying oxygen directly corrects low oxygen levels, making this secondary and incorrect compared to the nurse’s priority of ensuring adequate oxygenation in a heart failure exacerbation.

Choice B:

Calling for intubation anticipates worsening but is premature without first addressing hypoxia with oxygen. Applying oxygen is the immediate need, making this incorrect, as it bypasses the initial step of improving oxygenation in the client with severe respiratory distress.

Choice C:

Preparing for a Foley catheter anticipates diuresis but doesn’t address the urgent hypoxia at 85% oxygen saturation. Applying oxygen is critical, making this incorrect, as it delays the primary intervention needed to stabilize the client’s respiratory status in heart failure.

Choice D:

Applying oxygen is the first action to correct hypoxia (pulse oximetry 85%), improving tissue oxygenation in heart failure exacerbation. This aligns with acute care priorities, making it the correct intervention to address the client’s immediate respiratory distress and low oxygen saturation effectively.

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Question 2:

A client with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is scheduled for a thoracentesis. Which nursing intervention would be appropriate for client safety?

A. Administering a cough suppressant as needed. B. Assisting the client to a prone position. C. Obtaining arterial blood gas values immediately after the procedure. D. Applying oxygen via nasal cannula.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Cough suppressants may reduce discomfort but don’t address hypoxia risk during thoracentesis in COPD exacerbation. Oxygen application ensures safety, making this incorrect, as it doesn’t prioritize respiratory support needed for the client undergoing a procedure affecting lung function.

Choice B:

A prone position is unsafe for thoracentesis, which requires an upright or side-lying position to access pleural fluid. Oxygen supports breathing, making this incorrect, as it risks procedural complications compared to ensuring oxygenation for the COPD client’s safety.

Choice C:

Arterial blood gases post-procedure assess respiratory status but aren’t the primary safety intervention during thoracentesis. Oxygen prevents hypoxia, making this secondary and incorrect compared to the immediate need for respiratory support in the COPD client undergoing the procedure.

Choice D:

Applying oxygen via nasal cannula ensures adequate oxygenation during thoracentesis, critical for a COPD client with exacerbation prone to hypoxia. This aligns with procedural safety protocols, making it the correct intervention to maintain client safety during the pleural fluid removal.

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Question 3:

A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has venous insufficiency of the lower extremities. Which of the following statements by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?

A. “If my stockings feel tight, I’ll just roll them down for a while.” B. “I’ll put on my elastic stockings at the first sign of swelling.” C. “When I sit down to watch television, I’ll be sure to put my feet up.” D. “It is okay to cross my legs as long as it is less than one hour.”

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Rolling down tight stockings creates a tourniquet effect, worsening venous insufficiency. Elevating feet improves circulation, making this incorrect, as it reflects a misunderstanding of compression therapy compared to the correct management taught by the nurse for venous insufficiency.

Choice B:

Putting on stockings after swelling begins is less effective than wearing them preventatively. Elevating feet reduces edema, making this incorrect, as it shows partial understanding compared to the proactive elevation strategy indicating full comprehension of the nurse’s teaching.

Choice C:

Elevating feet when sitting promotes venous return, reducing edema in venous insufficiency. This aligns with self-care education for the condition, making it the correct statement, as it demonstrates the client’s accurate understanding of the nurse’s teaching to manage lower extremity swelling.

Choice D:

Crossing legs impairs venous return, exacerbating venous insufficiency, regardless of duration. Elevating feet is correct, making this incorrect, as it reflects a misconception about safe practices compared to the nurse’s teaching on managing venous insufficiency effectively.

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Question 4:

A nurse is assessing a client. Which of the following manifestations would indicate that the client is in cardiogenic shock? (Select all that apply)

A. Decreased cardiac output. B. Increased pulse rate. C. Postural hypotension. D. Bounding pulse. E. Weak thready pulse. F. Hypertension. G. Capillary refill greater than 3 seconds. H. Capillary refill less than 3 seconds. I. Pink frothy sputum.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Decreased cardiac output is a hallmark of cardiogenic shock, as the heart fails to pump adequately. This aligns with shock pathophysiology, making it a correct manifestation the nurse would expect when assessing a client for cardiogenic shock in a clinical setting.

Choice B:

Increased pulse rate occurs in cardiogenic shock as the body compensates for low cardiac output. This aligns with cardiovascular assessment findings, making it a correct manifestation the nurse would identify in a client experiencing cardiogenic shock during evaluation.

Choice C:

Postural hypotension is more typical of hypovolemic or orthostatic issues, not cardiogenic shock, which features weak pulses. Weak thready pulse is correct, making this incorrect, as it’s not a primary sign of cardiogenic shock in the nurse’s assessment.

Choice D:

Bounding pulse suggests hyperdynamic circulation, not cardiogenic shock, where perfusion is poor. Weak thready pulse is typical, making this incorrect, as it does not reflect the compromised cardiac output expected in the nurse’s evaluation of cardiogenic shock.

Choice E:

Weak thready pulse indicates poor perfusion in cardiogenic shock due to reduced cardiac output. This aligns with peripheral vascular assessment, making it a correct manifestation the nurse would expect when assessing a client in cardiogenic shock.

Choice F:

Hypertension is not typical in cardiogenic shock, which often presents with hypotension due to pump failure. Pink frothy sputum is correct, making this incorrect, as it contradicts the hemodynamic profile in the nurse’s assessment of cardiogenic shock.

Choice G:

Capillary refill greater than 3 seconds reflects poor perfusion in cardiogenic shock, consistent with low cardiac output. This aligns with peripheral assessment findings, making it a correct manifestation the nurse would note in a client with cardiogenic shock.

Choice H:

Capillary refill less than 3 seconds suggests normal perfusion, not cardiogenic shock, where refill is delayed. Greater than 3 seconds is correct, making this incorrect, as it does not align with the poor perfusion in cardiogenic shock assessment.

Choice I:

Pink frothy sputum indicates pulmonary edema, common in cardiogenic shock due to left heart failure. This aligns with respiratory assessment findings, making it a correct manifestation the nurse would expect in a client with cardiogenic shock.

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Question 5:

A nurse teaches a client with angina pectoris that he or she needs to take up to three sublingual nitroglycerin tablets at 5-minute intervals and immediately notify the health care provider if chest pain doesn’t subside within 15 minutes. What symptoms may the client experience after taking the nitroglycerin?

A. Nausea, vomiting, depression, fatigue, and impotence. B. Sedation, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and respiratory depression. C. Headache, hypotension, dizziness, and flushing. D. Flushing, dizziness, headache, and pedal edema.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Nausea and vomiting may occur with nitroglycerin, but depression, fatigue, and impotence are unrelated. Headache and hypotension are primary effects, making this incorrect, as it includes irrelevant symptoms compared to the nurse’s teaching on nitroglycerin’s expected side effects.

Choice B:

Sedation, constipation, and respiratory depression are opioid effects, not nitroglycerin, which causes vasodilation. Dizziness and flushing are correct, making this incorrect, as it misattributes opioid side effects to nitroglycerin in the nurse’s education for angina management.

Choice C:

Nitroglycerin causes headache, hypotension, dizziness, and flushing due to vasodilation, common side effects. This aligns with pharmacological education for angina, making it the correct set of symptoms the nurse would teach the client to expect after taking sublingual nitroglycerin.

Choice D:

Pedal edema is not a nitroglycerin side effect, though flushing, dizziness, and headache are. Hypotension is more precise than edema, making this incorrect, as it includes an unrelated symptom compared to the accurate side effects in nitroglycerin teaching.

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Question 6:

A nurse in an emergency department is caring for a client who has a blood pressure of 254/139 mm Hg. The nurse recognizes that the client is in a hypertensive crisis. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

A. Initiate seizure precautions. B. Tell the client to report vision changes. C. Elevate the head of the client’s bed. D. Start a peripheral IV.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Seizure precautions are relevant but secondary to establishing IV access for antihypertensive administration in hypertensive crisis. Starting an IV enables immediate treatment, making this incorrect, as it delays the critical intervention needed to lower the client’s dangerously high blood pressure.

Choice B:

Instructing to report vision changes monitors complications but doesn’t address the urgent need to lower blood pressure. IV access facilitates medication delivery, making this incorrect, as it postpones the primary action for managing the client’s hypertensive crisis effectively.

Choice C:

Hypertensive crisis can cause severe headache, risk for stroke, pulmonary edema, and difficulty breathing. Elevating the HOB improves cerebral perfusion, reduces intracranial pressure, and eases breathing. This is an immediate, noninvasive, airway/circulation-supportive intervention.

Choice D:

Needed for IV antihypertensive administration, but initial safety and circulation support (C) takes priority before establishing access.

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Question 7:

The nurse is taking care of a 60-year-old client who is scheduled for open reduction internal fixation of the left femur. Which ethical principle is most important when soliciting informed consent from the patient?

A. Nonmaleficence. B. Fidelity. C. Beneficence. D. Veracity.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Nonmaleficence ensures no harm but is less central than veracity, which ensures truthful disclosure for informed consent. Truthfulness enables autonomous decisions, making this incorrect, as it’s secondary to the ethical priority of honesty in the consent process for femur surgery.

Choice B:

Fidelity involves keeping promises but doesn’t directly address the truthful disclosure required for informed consent. Veracity ensures the patient understands risks, making this incorrect, as it’s less relevant than honesty in the nurse’s role during the consent process for surgery.

Choice C:

Beneficence promotes well-being but is secondary to veracity, which provides accurate information for the patient’s decision. Truthfulness is critical for consent, making this incorrect, as it’s not the primary ethical principle when soliciting informed consent for the femur procedure.

Choice D:

Veracity, or truthfulness, is the most important ethical principle, ensuring the patient receives accurate information about risks and benefits for informed consent. This aligns with surgical ethical standards, making it the correct principle for the nurse to prioritize during the consent process.

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Question 8:

A nurse is caring for a client who is being treated for heart failure and has a prescription for furosemide. The nurse should plan to monitor for which of the following adverse effects of the medication?

A. Shortness of breath. B. Lightheadedness. C. Dry cough. D. Bitter taste in the mouth.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Shortness of breath is a heart failure symptom, not a furosemide side effect, which causes diuresis. Lightheadedness from hypotension is common, making this incorrect, as it confuses disease symptoms with medication effects in the nurse’s monitoring plan for furosemide.

Choice B:

Lightheadedness is a common furosemide adverse effect due to hypotension or electrolyte imbalances from diuresis. This aligns with pharmacological monitoring for heart failure treatment, making it the correct effect the nurse should plan to monitor in the client.

Choice C:

Dry cough is associated with ACE inhibitors, not furosemide, a diuretic causing hypotension. Lightheadedness is a furosemide effect, making this incorrect, as it misattributes a side effect to the wrong medication in the nurse’s monitoring for heart failure treatment.

Choice D:

Bitter taste is not a typical furosemide side effect; it’s more linked to medications like antibiotics. Lightheadedness is relevant, making this incorrect, as it does not reflect the expected adverse effects the nurse should monitor with furosemide administration.

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Question 9:

The laboratory notifies the night nurse that the patient has a critical magnesium level of 1.1 mEq/L. The patient has a do-not-resuscitate order. The nurse does not inform the practitioner because of the patient’s code status. In doing so, the nurse is negligent for which action?

A. Failure to analyze the level of care needed by the patient. B. Failure to respect the patient’s wishes. C. Wrongful death. D. Failure to take appropriate action.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Analyzing care levels is important, but the nurse’s negligence lies in not addressing the critical magnesium level. Reporting to the practitioner is the appropriate action, making this incorrect, as it’s less specific than the failure to act on a critical lab result.

Choice B:

Respecting patient wishes relates to DNR but doesn’t negate the need to report critical labs for non-resuscitative care. Failure to act is the issue, making this incorrect, as it misapplies the DNR to the nurse’s duty to address the magnesium level.

Choice C:

Wrongful death assumes patient harm or death, which isn’t indicated here. Failure to act on the critical magnesium level is the negligence, making this incorrect, as it overstates the outcome compared to the nurse’s inaction on the lab result.

Choice D:

Failure to take appropriate action, such as reporting a critical magnesium level of 1.1 mEq/L, is negligent, regardless of DNR status. This aligns with nursing standards, making it the correct action the nurse neglected, as critical labs require practitioner notification.

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Question 10:

A child has a 2-day history of vomiting, hypoactive bowel sounds, and an irregular pulse. Electrolyte values are sodium, 130 mEq/L; potassium, 3.3 mEq/L; calcium, 9.5 mg/dL; and HCO3, 30 mEq/L. Which of the following imbalances is the child most likely to have? (Select all that apply)

A. Hyponatremia. B. Hypocalcemia. C. Hyperkalemia. D. Hypokalemia. E. Metabolic acidosis. F. Metabolic alkalosis.

Answer and Explanation

Choice A:

Sodium of 130 mEq/L indicates hyponatremia, likely from vomiting-induced sodium loss. This aligns with the child’s electrolyte profile and symptoms, making it a correct imbalance the nurse would identify as most likely based on the lab values and clinical presentation.

Choice B:

Calcium of 9.5 mg/dL is normal, not indicating hypocalcemia. Hyponatremia and metabolic alkalosis match the labs (sodium 130, HCO3 30), making this incorrect, as it does not reflect the child’s electrolyte imbalances from vomiting and irregular pulse.

Choice C:

Potassium of 3.3 mEq/L is low, not high, ruling out hyperkalemia. Hyponatremia and metabolic alkalosis fit the labs and vomiting history, making this incorrect, as it contradicts the child’s potassium level in the nurse’s assessment of imbalances.

Choice D:

Potassium of 3.3 mEq/L suggests mild hypokalemia, but hyponatremia (sodium 130) is more prominent with vomiting. Metabolic alkalosis is also evident, making this partially correct but incorrect as the primary imbalance compared to hyponatremia in the child’s profile.

Choice E:

HCO3 of 30 mEq/L indicates alkalosis, not acidosis, due to vomiting-induced hydrogen ion loss. Hyponatremia and metabolic alkalosis are correct, making this incorrect, as it contradicts the child’s alkalotic state in the nurse’s evaluation of lab values.

Choice F:

HCO3 of 30 mEq/L indicates metabolic alkalosis, common with vomiting due to loss of acidic gastric contents. This, with hyponatremia, aligns with the child’s labs and symptoms, making it a correct imbalance the nurse would identify in the assessment.

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Med Surg Exam ( Critical Care Regular Exam)

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