Nursing practice questions with comprehensive rationales
NurseDive Free Nursing Practice Question
A nurse is instructing a newly licensed nurse on how to obtain a fecal occult blood test from a patient.
What information should the nurse include?
A. Apply four drops of developing solution to each stool specimen.
Applying four drops of developing solution to each stool specimen is incorrect. Typically, the test requires two drops of solution. Following manufacturer instructions ensures accurate results and prevents unnecessary waste or inaccurate readings.
B. Use toilet paper to transfer the stool specimen.
Using toilet paper to transfer the stool specimen is improper. Stool should be collected using the provided applicator stick to avoid contamination, ensuring the accuracy of the fecal occult blood test.
C. Wait 30 seconds after applying the developing solution to obtain the results.
Waiting 30 seconds after applying the developing solution allows the chemical reaction to complete, ensuring accurate detection of any occult blood present in the stool sample.
D. Collect two stool specimens from the same area of the stool.
Collecting two stool specimens from the same area increases the risk of missing occult blood present in different parts of the stool. Sampling from multiple areas enhances test accuracy and ensures comprehensive results.
This question is an excerpt from Nurse Dive's nursing test bank - ATI Fundamental of nursing proctored exam 2 Custom NS_117_T Winter 2023 Monroe. Take the full exam now
Full Explanation
The correct answer is Choice C.
Choice A rationale: Applying four drops of developing solution to each stool specimen is incorrect. Typically, the test requires two drops of solution. Following manufacturer instructions ensures accurate results and prevents unnecessary waste or inaccurate readings.
Choice B rationale: Using toilet paper to transfer the stool specimen is improper. Stool should be collected using the provided applicator stick to avoid contamination, ensuring the accuracy of the fecal occult blood test.
Choice C rationale: Waiting 30 seconds after applying the developing solution allows the chemical reaction to complete, ensuring accurate detection of any occult blood present in the stool sample.
Choice D rationale: Collecting two stool specimens from the same area increases the risk of missing occult blood present in different parts of the stool. Sampling from multiple areas enhances test accuracy and ensures comprehensive results.
Similar Questions
A nurse is reinforcing teaching about elimination with an adolescent who is paralyzed from the waist down following a spinal cord injury.
Which statement by the adolescent indicates a need for further teaching?
A. I do my wheelchair exercises sitting in my chair.
The statement “I do my wheelchair exercises sitting in my chair” is correct. Wheelchair exercises are designed to be performed while seated in a wheelchair. They help to maintain muscle strength and flexibility, which is crucial for individuals with paralysis.
B. I use a suppository every night to have a bowel movement.
The statement “I use a suppository every night to have a bowel movement” is also correct. Individuals with paralysis often have difficulty with bowel movements due to lack of muscle control. Using a suppository can stimulate the rectum and induce a bowel movement. Choice C rationale: The statement “I need to catheterize myself twice a day” indicates a need for further teaching. Individuals with paralysis from the waist down following a spinal cord injury typically need to perform intermittent self-catheterization every 4-6 hours, not just twice a day. This helps to prevent urinary tract infections and bladder overdistension.
C. I need to catheterize myself twice a day.
D. I carry a water bottle with me because I drink a lot of water.
The statement “I carry a water bottle with me because I drink a lot of water” is correct. Drinking plenty of water is important for overall health and can help prevent urinary tract infections, which are common in individuals who self-catheterize.
Full Explanation
Choice A rationale:
The statement “I do my wheelchair exercises sitting in my chair” is correct. Wheelchair exercises are designed to be performed while seated in a wheelchair. They help to maintain muscle strength and flexibility, which is crucial for individuals with paralysis.
Choice B rationale:
The statement “I use a suppository every night to have a bowel movement” is also correct. Individuals with paralysis often have difficulty with bowel movements due to lack of muscle control. Using a suppository can stimulate the rectum and induce a bowel movement. Choice C rationale:
The statement “I need to catheterize myself twice a day” indicates a need for further teaching. Individuals with paralysis from the waist down following a spinal cord injury typically need to perform intermittent self-catheterization every 4-6 hours, not just twice a day. This helps to prevent urinary tract infections and bladder overdistension.
Choice D rationale:
The statement “I carry a water bottle with me because I drink a lot of water” is correct. Drinking plenty of water is important for overall health and can help to prevent urinary tract infections, which are common in individuals who self-catheterize.
A nurse is assisting with the care of a client who has respiratory alkalosis and is hyperventilating.
What action should the nurse take?
A. Plan to administer insulin to the client.
Administering insulin to a client who is hyperventilating due to respiratory alkalosis would not be the appropriate action. Insulin is used to lower blood glucose levels in clients with hyperglycemia, such as those with diabetes mellitus. It does not directly address the issues of hyperventilation or respiratory alkalosis.
B. Have the client breathe into a paper bag.
Having the client breathe into a paper bag is the correct action in this case. When a person hyperventilates, they exhale more carbon dioxide (CO2) than they produce. This can lead to a state of respiratory alkalosis, where the blood becomes too alkaline due to the low levels of CO2. By breathing into a paper bag, the client re-inhales some of the exhaled CO2, helping to restore the balance of gases in the blood and alleviate the symptoms of respiratory alkalosis.
C. Plan to administer sodium bicarbonate to the client.
Administering sodium bicarbonate to a client who is hyperventilating and has respiratory alkalosis would not be the appropriate action. Sodium bicarbonate is an alkalinizing agent used to treat conditions where there is too much acid in the body, such as metabolic acidosis. In this case, the client’s body is too alkaline due to the respiratory alkalosis, so administering an alkalinizing agent would exacerbate the condition.
D. Have the client place their head between their knees.
Having the client place their head between their knees would not be the appropriate action for a client who is hyperventilating due to respiratory alkalosis. This position is often used to help alleviate symptoms of dizziness or fainting, but it does not address the underlying issue of the imbalance of gases in the blood due to hyperventilation.
Full Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Administering insulin to a client who is hyperventilating due to respiratory alkalosis would not be the appropriate action. Insulin is used to lower blood glucose levels in clients with hyperglycemia, such as those with diabetes mellitus. It does not directly address the issues of hyperventilation or respiratory alkalosis.
Choice B rationale:
Having the client breathe into a paper bag is the correct action in this case. When a person hyperventilates, they exhale more carbon dioxide (CO2) than they produce. This can lead to a state of respiratory alkalosis, where the blood becomes too alkaline due to the low levels of CO2. By breathing into a paper bag, the client re-inhales some of the exhaled CO2, helping to restore the balance of gases in the blood and alleviate the symptoms of respiratory alkalosis.
Choice C rationale:
Administering sodium bicarbonate to a client who is hyperventilating and has respiratory alkalosis would not be the appropriate action. Sodium bicarbonate is an alkalinizing agent used to treat conditions where there is too much acid in the body, such as metabolic acidosis. In this case, the client’s body is too alkaline due to the respiratory alkalosis, so administering an alkalinizing agent would exacerbate the condition.
Choice D rationale:
Having the client place their head between their knees would not be the appropriate action for a client who is hyperventilating due to respiratory alkalosis. This position is often used to help alleviate symptoms of dizziness or fainting, but it does not address the underlying issue of the imbalance of gases in the blood due to hyperventilation.
A nurse is gathering information on a patient who has pleural effusion.
What symptoms should the nurse anticipate?
A. Crackles heard over the patient’s lung fields.
Crackles are a common symptom of pleural effusion. They are abnormal lung sounds that are heard when a patient with pleural effusion breathes in. The sound is caused by the opening of small airways and alveoli collapsed by fluid, exudate, or lack of aeration during expiration.
B. Crepitus felt on the patient’s chest.
Crepitus is not typically associated with pleural effusion. Crepitus is a crackling or grating sound or feeling produced by air in subcutaneous tissue or by the rubbing together of fragments of broken bone. In the context of respiratory health, crepitus might be felt if there is subcutaneous emphysema, where air gets into tissues under the skin covering the chest wall or neck.
C. Substernal retractions observed on the patient’s chest.
Substernal retractions are not a typical symptom of pleural effusion. Retractions are a sign of respiratory distress, but they are more commonly associated with conditions that cause upper airway obstruction or severe lung disease, such as asthma or pneumonia. Choice D rationale: Dullness upon percussion is a classic sign of pleural effusion. When there is fluid in the pleural space, it prevents the normal resonant sound produced by the air-filled lungs from being heard. Instead, a dull sound is heard when the chest is percussed.
D. Dullness heard when percussing the patient’s lung fields.
Full Explanation
Choice A rationale:
Crackles are a common symptom of pleural effusion. They are abnormal lung sounds that are heard when a patient with pleural effusion breathes in. The sound is caused by the opening of small airways and alveoli collapsed by fluid, exudate, or lack of aeration during expiration.
Choice B rationale:
Crepitus is not typically associated with pleural effusion. Crepitus is a crackling or grating sound or feeling produced by air in subcutaneous tissue or by the rubbing together of fragments of broken bone. In the context of respiratory health, crepitus might be felt if there is subcutaneous emphysema, where air gets into tissues under the skin covering the chest wall or neck.
Choice C rationale:
Substernal retractions are not a typical symptom of pleural effusion. Retractions are a sign of respiratory distress, but they are more commonly associated with conditions that cause upper airway obstruction or severe lung disease, such as asthma or pneumonia. Choice D rationale:
Dullness upon percussion is a classic sign of pleural effusion. When there is fluid in the pleural space, it prevents the normal resonant sound produced by the air-filled lungs from being heard. Instead, a dull sound is heard when the chest is percussed.