Pain management for terminally ill patients is most effective when analgesics are given:
A patient who has just had a miscarriage at 8 weeks of gestation is admitted to hospital. In caring for this patient, the nurse should be alert for signs of:
A patient is diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis. The nurse would expect the physician to prescribe:
A medication was ordered by a physician. The nurse believes the medication dose is incorrect. What should the nurse do next?
While preparing the midday medications, the nurse finds difficulty reading the label on a medicine bottle. The best action by the nurse is to:
The priority nursing diagnosis for a hospitalized patient with a Stage IV pressure ulcer on the hip would be:
Which of the following actions is the most appropriate when the nurse is responding to a patient during a tonic-clonic seizure?
After application of a cast in the upper extremity, the patient complains of severe pain in the affected site. Which of the following would the nurse initiate?
A 3-month-old infant is admitted with a diagnosis of ventricular septal defect. The physical assessment for this infant would reveal:
During the acute phase of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) the nurse should maintain the patient in which of the following positions?
When caring for a patient with hepatic encephalopathy the nurse may carry out the following orders: give enemas, provide a low protein diet, and limit physical activities. These measures are performed to:
The nurse is preparing teaching plans for several patients. The nurse should recognize which of the following patients is at greatest risk for fluid and electrolyte imbalance?
A patient has had a total hip joint replacement. Which of the following actions should the nurse consider for the patient's daily recommended exercise program?
An elderly patient is admitted to the hospital with swollen ankles. The best way to limit edema of the feet is for the nurse to:
The nurse manager has just prepared a medication for a patient and she asked you to give the medication. Which of the following is the best response to the nurse manager's request?
You are the nurse providing post-operative care for a 9 year old boy who is 6 hours post-tonsillectomy. He is sleeping, but on routine observation you notice that his pulse has increased, he seems to be restless and trying to swallow frequently. Your immediate action would be:
A patient becomes angry and threatens to leave the hospital unless the physician reviews the reason for the patient's delay in discharge. The patient has a medication order for agitation available p.m.. but refuses the medication and requests a drink of orange juice instead. What should the nurse do?
The best dietary advice a nurse can give to a woman diagnosed with mild pregnancy-induced hypertension is to:
A nurse has been working in a general hospital on the same medical unit for 6 years. The Behavioral Unit is desperately short staffed and the nurse is asked to work her shift in this other unit. What would be the expected response of the nurse to this request?
Immediately after a craniotomy for head trauma, the nurse must monitor the drainage on the dressing. Which of the following should be reported?
Which of the following laboratory blood values is expected to be decreased in hepatic dysfunction?
The patient has a nursing diagnosis of altered cerebral tissue perfusion related to cerebral edema. An appropriate nursing intervention for this problem is to:
A patient with severe, protracted vomiting will often have what electrolyte abnormality?
A patient complains of pain in his right arm. The physician orders codeine 45 mg and aspirin 650 mgs every 4 hours PRN. Each codeine tablet contains 15mg of codeine and each aspirin tablet contains 325mg of aspirin. What should the nurse administer?
A nurse prepares a narcotic analgesic for administration, but the patient refuses to take it. Which of the following actions by the nurse is most appropriate?
A patient who sustained a chest injury has a chest tube inserted which is connected to an under water seal drainage system. When caring for this patient the nurse will:
A patient with pneumonia is coughing up purulent thick sputum. Which one of the following nursing measures is most likely helpful to loosen the secretions?
Thirty minutes after starting a blood transfusion a patient develops tachycardia and tachypnea and complains of chills and low back pain. The nurse recognizes these symptoms as characteristic of:
The nurse should be aware that tetracycline is contraindicated in children under 12 years of age because:
A nurse is not familiar with a particular solution ordered to irrigate a patient's wound. The appropriate action would be to:
The patient with iron deficiency anemia should be encouraged to eat which of the following foods high in iron?
Which of the following techniques should the nurse implement to prevent the patient's mucous membranes from drying when the oxygen flow rate is higher than 4 liters per minute?
A patient with a central venous line develops sudden clinical manifestations that include a decrease in blood pressure, an elevated heart rate, cyanosis, tachypnea, and changes in mental status. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these symptoms?
The patient's pre-operative blood pressure was 120/68 mmHg. On admission to the Post Anesthesia Care Unit, the blood pressure was 124/70 mmHg. Thirty minutes after admission, the patient's blood pressure falls to 112/60 mmHg, pulse to 72 BPM, and the skin appears warm and dry. The most appropriate action by the nurse at this time is to:
The nurse plans the care for a patient with increased intracranial pressure, she knows that the best way to position the patient is to:
Which of the following actions is the most effective measure to reduce hospital acquired infections?