Nursing practice questions with comprehensive rationales
NurseDive Free Nursing Practice Question
A nurse is caring for a client who reports vomiting and diarrhea for the past 6 hours. The nurse should identify that which of the following assessments is the priority?
A. Auscultate the client's bowel sounds.
“Auscultate the client’s bowel sounds.” While auscultating bowel sounds can provide information about the client’s gastrointestinal function, it is not the priority assessment for a client who has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea for the past 6 hours.
B. Measure the client's temperature.
“Measure the client’s temperature.” Measuring the client’s temperature can help identify if the client has an infection, which could be causing the vomiting and diarrhea. However, it is not the priority assessment in this situation.
C. Check the client's urine specific gravity.
“Check the client’s urine specific gravity.” Checking the client’s urine specific gravity can provide information about the client’s hydration status. However, it is not the priority assessment for a client who has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea for the past 6 hours.
D. Obtain the client's serum potassium level.
“Obtain the client’s serum potassium level.” This is the correct answer. Prolonged vomiting and diarrhea can lead to significant loss of electrolytes, including potassium. A low potassium level (hypokalemia) can have serious effects, including cardiac arrhythmias. Therefore, obtaining the client’s serum potassium level is the priority assessment.
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Full Explanation
The correct answer is choice D.
Choice A rationale:
“Auscultate the client’s bowel sounds.” While auscultating bowel sounds can provide information about the client’s gastrointestinal function, it is not the priority assessment for a client who has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea for the past 6 hours.
Choice B rationale:
“Measure the client’s temperature.” Measuring the client’s temperature can help identify if the client has an infection, which could be causing the vomiting and diarrhea. However, it is not the priority assessment in this situation.
Choice C rationale:
“Check the client’s urine specific gravity.” Checking the client’s urine specific gravity can provide information about the client’s hydration status. However, it is not the priority assessment for a client who has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea for the past 6 hours.
Choice D rationale:
“Obtain the client’s serum potassium level.” This is the correct answer. Prolonged vomiting and diarrhea can lead to significant loss of electrolytes, including potassium. A low potassium level (hypokalemia) can have serious effects, including cardiac arrhythmias. Therefore, obtaining the client’s serum potassium level is the priority assessment.
Similar Questions
A nurse receives notification of a fire on the unit. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A. Assist clients who are in immediate danger to a safe location.
The nurse's first priority in the event of a fire is the safety and well-being of the clients. Clients who are in immediate danger due to the fire should be assisted to a safe location as quickly as possible. This choice is supported by the principles of prioritizing client safety during emergencies.
B. Close doors and windows on the unit.
Closing doors and windows on the unit is a secondary action and comes after ensuring the safety of clients in immediate danger. While it can help contain the fire's spread, it should not be the nurse's first action, as it does not address the immediate risk to clients' lives.
C. Attempt to extinguish the fire using an ABC fire extinguisher.
Attempting to extinguish the fire using an ABC fire extinguisher might be a consideration in emergency situations; however, the nurse's first responsibility is to ensure the safety of clients. The nurse should not put themselves or clients at risk by attempting to extinguish the fire before moving clients to safety.
D. Discontinue oxygen use for clients who can breathe without it.
Discontinuing oxygen use for clients who can breathe without it is not the nurse's primary action during a fire emergency. While it's important to manage resources, such as oxygen, the immediate focus should be on evacuating clients from the danger zone.
Full Explanation
Choice A rationale:
The nurse's first priority in the event of a fire is the safety and well-being of the clients. Clients who are in immediate danger due to the fire should be assisted to a safe location as quickly as possible. This choice is supported by the principles of prioritizing client safety during emergencies.
Choice B rationale:
Closing doors and windows on the unit is a secondary action and comes after ensuring the safety of clients in immediate danger. While it can help contain the fire's spread, it should not be the nurse's first action, as it does not address the immediate risk to clients' lives.
Choice C rationale:
Attempting to extinguish the fire using an ABC fire extinguisher might be a consideration in emergency situations; however, the nurse's first responsibility is to ensure the safety of clients. The nurse should not put themselves or clients at risk by attempting to extinguish the fire before moving clients to safety.
Choice D rationale:
Discontinuing oxygen use for clients who can breathe without it is not the nurse's primary action during a fire emergency. While it's important to manage resources, such as oxygen, the immediate focus should be on evacuating clients from the danger zone.
A nurse is caring for a client who is terminally ill and receiving nutritional support. The client's adult children disagree about continuing nutritional support. The dilemma is referred to the ethics committee. Which of the following actions should the nurse expect the committee to take?
A. Assist in weighing the options involved in the decision.
Ethics committees are tasked with providing guidance and recommendations in ethical dilemmas. They don't make the final decisions, but rather facilitate discussions and help individuals involved in the situation to weigh the options and make informed choices. This is consistent with the committee's role in addressing complex ethical decisions.
B. Provide a legal representative for the family.
Providing a legal representative for the family is not the primary role of an ethics committee. Legal representation is a separate matter and might be considered in situations where there are legal implications, but the committee's primary function is to address ethical concerns and conflicts.
C. Recommend the best course of action for the client.
While ethics committees can offer recommendations, their focus is not necessarily on determining the best course of action for the client. Instead, they help individuals explore ethical principles and values to make decisions that align with the client's best interests.
D. Decide how the nursing team should resolve the dilemma.
The ethics committee does not make decisions on behalf of the nursing team. Its role is to provide guidance and promote ethical discussions. Deciding how the nursing team should resolve the dilemma is beyond the committee's scope.
Full Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Ethics committees are tasked with providing guidance and recommendations in ethical dilemmas. They don't make the final decisions, but rather facilitate discussions and help individuals involved in the situation to weigh the options and make informed choices. This is consistent with the committee's role in addressing complex ethical decisions.
Choice B rationale:
Providing a legal representative for the family is not the primary role of an ethics committee. Legal representation is a separate matter and might be considered in situations where there are legal implications, but the committee's primary function is to address ethical concerns and conflicts.
Choice C rationale:
While ethics committees can offer recommendations, their focus is not necessarily on determining the best course of action for the client. Instead, they help individuals explore ethical principles and values to make decisions that align with the client's best interests.
Choice D rationale:
The ethics committee does not make decisions on behalf of the nursing team. Its role is to provide guidance and promote ethical discussions. Deciding how the nursing team should resolve the dilemma is beyond the committee's scope.
A charge nurse is leading a committee that is revising the policy for client discharge. After developing the initial plan, which of the following actions should the nurse take next?
A. Set target dates for completion.
Setting target dates for completion is an important step, but it should come after goals and objectives have been established. Goals and objectives provide the foundation for developing a timeline and action plan.
B. Identify areas of support.
Identifying areas of support is valuable, but it's not the next immediate action after developing the initial plan. Before seeking support, the nurse should clarify the goals and objectives to ensure that the support is aligned with the intended outcomes.
C. Determine goals and objectives.
Determining goals and objectives is the next logical step after developing the initial plan. Goals and objectives help guide the committee's work and ensure that the policy revisions are purposeful and aligned with the desired outcomes.
D. Implement recommended strategies.
Implementing recommended strategies is a subsequent action that follows the establishment of goals and objectives. Without clear goals and objectives, the strategies might lack direction and cohesiveness.
Full Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Setting target dates for completion is an important step, but it should come after goals and objectives have been established. Goals and objectives provide the foundation for developing a timeline and action plan.
Choice B rationale:
Identifying areas of support is valuable, but it's not the next immediate action after developing the initial plan. Before seeking support, the nurse should clarify the goals and objectives to ensure that the support is aligned with the intended outcomes.
Choice C rationale:
Determining goals and objectives is the next logical step after developing the initial plan. Goals and objectives help guide the committee's work and ensure that the policy revisions are purposeful and aligned with the desired outcomes.
Choice D rationale:
Implementing recommended strategies is a subsequent action that follows the establishment of goals and objectives. Without clear goals and objectives, the strategies might lack direction and cohesiveness.