Nursing Board Review: Fundamentals of Nursing Practice Test Part 3

Frontal or coronal plane runs longitudinally at a right angle to a sagittal plane dividing the body in anterior and posterior regions. A sagittal plane runs longitudinally dividing the body into right and left regions; if exactly midline, it is called a midsagittal plane. A transverse plane runs horizontally at a right angle to the vertical axis, dividing the structure into superior and inferior regions.

Because a 2-year-old child has limited understanding, the nurse should give simple directions and explanations of what will occur shortly before the procedure. She should try to avoid frightening the child with the explanation and allow the child to make simple choices, such as choosing the I.V. insertion site, if possible. However, she shouldn’t ask the child if he wants the therapy, because the answer may be “No!” Telling the child that the treatment is for his own good is ineffective because a 2-year-old perceives pain as a negative sensation and cannot understand that a painful procedure can have position results. Telling the child how long the therapy will last is ineffective because the 2-year-old doesn’t have a good understanding of time.

Subjective data come directly from the patient and usually are recorded as direct quotations that reflect the patient’s opinions or feelings about a situation. Vital signs, laboratory test result, and ECG waveforms are examples of objective data.

The nurse solves the problem as follows: 10,000 units/7,500 units = 1 ml/X 10,000 X = 7,500 X= 7,500/10,000 or ¾ ml

To convert Fahrenheit degrees to centigrade, use this formula: C degrees = (F degrees – 32) x 5/9 C degrees = (102 – 32) 5/9 + 70 x 5/9 38.9 degrees C

As a safety precaution, the nurse should discard an unlabeled syringe that contains medication. The other options are considered unsafe because they promote error.

The diaphragm of a stethoscope detects high-pitched sound best; the bell detects low pitched sounds best. Palpation detects thrills best.

The scrub nurse assist the surgeon by providing appropriate surgical instruments and supplies, maintaining strict surgical asepsis and, with the circulating nurse, accounting for all gauze, sponges, needles, and instruments. The circulating nurse assists the surgeon and scrub nurse, positions the patient, applies appropriate equipment and surgical drapes, assists with gowning and gloving, and provides the surgeon and scrub nurse with supplies.

All of these test help evaluate a patient with respiratory problems. However, ABG analysis is the only test evaluates gas exchange in the lungs, providing information about patient’s oxygenation status.

Having the patient look upward reduces blinking and protects the cornea. Instilling drops in the center of the lower lid promotes absorption because the drops are less likely to run into the nasolacrimal duct or out of the eye.

Aging-related physiological changes account for the increased frequency of adverse drug reactions in geriatric patients. Renal and hepatic changes cause drugs to clear more slowly in these patients. With increasing age, neurons are lost and blood flow to the GI tract decreases.

A safety device on the wrist may impair circulation and restrict blood supply to body tissues. Therefore, the nurse should assess the patient for signs of impaired circulation, such as cool, pale fingers. A palpable radial or lunar pulse and pink nail beds are normal findings.

In most cases, an outpatient must fill a prescription for a controlled substance within 6 months of the date on which the prescription was written.

The nurse must consider the patient’s cognitive abilities to understand drug instructions. If not, the nurse must find a family member or significant other to take on the responsibility of administering medications in the home setting. The patient’s ability to recover, occupational hazards, and socioeconomic status do not affect drug administration.

When teaching a patient about medications before discharge, the nurse is acting as an educator. The nurse acts as a manager when performing such activities as scheduling and making patient care assignments. The nurse performs the care giving role when providing direct care, including bathing patients and administering medications and prescribed treatments. The nurse acts as a patient advocate when making the patient’s wishes known to the doctor.

After placing the patient in high Fowler’s position and moving the patient to the side of the bed, the nurse helps the patient sit on the edge of the bed and dangle the legs; the nurse then faces the patient and places the chair next to and facing the head of the bed.

Anxiety may result from feeling of helplessness, isolation, or insecurity. This response helps reduce anxiety by encouraging the patient to express feelings. The nurse should be supportive and develop goals together with the patient to give the patient some control over an anxiety-inducing situation. Because the other options ignore the patient’s feeling and block communication, they would not reduce anxiety.

The nurse should systematically assess all areas of the abdomen, if time and the patient’s condition permit, concluding with the symptomatic area. Otherwise, the nurse may elicit pain in the symptomatic area, causing the muscles in other areas to tighten. This would interfere with further assessment.

Sensory deficits could cause a geriatric patient to have difficulty retaining knowledge about prescribed medications. Decreased plasma drug levels do not alter the patient’s knowledge about the drug. A lack of family support may affect compliance, not knowledge retention. Toilette syndrome is unrelated to knowledge retention.

All syringes have three parts: a tip, which connects the needle to the syringe; a barrel, the outer part on which the measurement scales are printed; and a plunger, which fits inside the barrel to expel the medication. The external part of the barrel and the plunger and (flange) must be handled during the preparation and administration of the injection. However, the inside and trip of the barrel, the inside (shaft) of the plunger, and the needle tip must remain sterile until after the injection.

Shock and dismay are early signs of denial-the first stage of grief. The other options are associated with depression—a later stage of grief.

Demonstrating by the nurse with a return demonstration by the patient ensures that the patient can perform wound care correctly. Patients may claim to understand discharge instruction when they do not. An interpreter of family member may communicate verbal or written instructions inaccurately.

Gauge is a measure of the needle’s thickness: The higher the number the thinner the shaft. Therefore, an 18G needle is considerably thicker than a 25G needle.

A major side effect of anticoagulant therapy is bleeding, which can be identified by hypotension (a systolic blood pressure under 100 mm Hg). Anticoagulants do not result in the other three conditions.

The nurse should return shortly to the patient’s room and remain there until the patient takes the medication to verify that it was taken as directed. The nurse should never leave medication at the patient’s bedside unless specifically requested to do so.