Nursing practice questions with comprehensive rationales
NurseDive Free Nursing Practice Question
A nurse is teaching a newly licensed nurse about palliative care.
Which of the following information should the nurse include?
A. The goal of palliative care is to cure an acute illness for a client.
The goal of palliative care is not to cure an acute illness but to provide relief from symptoms and improve the quality of life for clients with serious illnesses.
B. Palliative care is restricted to clients who are terminally ill.
Palliative care is not restricted to clients who are terminally ill. It can be provided to anyone with a serious illness, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies.
C. Palliative care is limited to clients who are in a health care facility.
Palliative care is not limited to clients in a healthcare facility. It can be provided in various settings, including at home, in outpatient clinics, and in long-term care facilities.
D. Palliative care can be provided while a client is receiving a curative treatment.
Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatments. It is designed to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family by addressing physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs.
This question is an excerpt from Nurse Dive's nursing test bank - ATI custom fundamentals final proctored exam fall 2023. Take the full exam now
Full Explanation
The correct answer is Choice D: Palliative care can be provided while a client is receiving curative treatment.
Choice A rationale:
The goal of palliative care is not to cure an acute illness but to provide relief from symptoms and improve the quality of life for clients with serious illnesses.
Choice B rationale:
Palliative care is not restricted to clients who are terminally ill. It can be provided to anyone with a serious illness, regardless of the stage of the disease or the need for other therapies.
Choice C rationale:
Palliative care is not limited to clients in a healthcare facility. It can be provided in various settings, including at home, in outpatient clinics, and in long-term care facilities.
Choice D rationale:
Palliative care can be provided alongside curative treatments. It is designed to improve the quality of life for both the patient and the family by addressing physical, emotional, and psychosocial needs.
Similar Questions
A nurse is caring for a client.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take? Select all that apply.
A. Wear a protective gown while caring for the client.
Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, gram-positive anaerobic bacillus that causes antibiotic-associated colitis. Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route, primarily through contact with contaminated surfaces or hands. Protective gowns are essential during care to prevent spore transfer to clothing and subsequent environmental contamination. Spores resist alcohol-based sanitizers and persist on surfaces for months. Contact precautions, including gown use, reduce nosocomial spread. Normal white blood cell count is 4,000–11,000/mm³; elevated levels may indicate infection severity.
B. Place the client in a private room.
Isolation in a private room is critical for clients with confirmed Clostridium difficile infection due to the organism’s ability to form resilient spores that contaminate surfaces and equipment. Private rooms limit environmental exposure and reduce cross-contamination risk. C. difficile spores are resistant to routine cleaning agents and require bleach-based disinfectants. Diarrheal stool volume increases transmission risk. Normal stool frequency is 1–3 formed stools/day; 4–5 liquid stools/day indicates active infectious diarrhea requiring isolation.
C. Wear an N-95 respirator while caring for the client.
While wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) is crucial when caring for clients with infectious diseases, an N-95 respirator is not necessary for C. diff. The bacteria is not airborne, and its transmission primarily occurs through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects. Standard surgical masks are sufficient for healthcare workers when caring for clients with C. diff, as they can protect against droplet transmission.
D. Place the client in a negative pressure room.
A negative pressure room is not required for clients with C. diff, as the bacteria is not airborne. Negative pressure rooms are typically used for patients with airborne diseases, such as tuberculosis, to prevent the spread of infectious particles through the air.
E. Place a mask on the client when they leave their room.
Masking the client is a droplet precaution used for pathogens like influenza virus, Neisseria meningitidis, or SARS-CoV-2. Clostridium difficile does not transmit via respiratory droplets, so placing a mask on the client during transport does not reduce transmission risk. Instead, hand hygiene and contact precautions are essential. CDI spores are not expelled via coughing or sneezing. Droplet precautions are reserved for pathogens with particle size >5 µm. Normal oxygen saturation is ≥95% on room air.
Full Explanation
The correct answer is Choice A, Choice B
Choice A rationale: Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming, gram-positive anaerobic bacillus that causes antibiotic-associated colitis. Transmission occurs via the fecal-oral route, primarily through contact with contaminated surfaces or hands. Protective gowns are essential during care to prevent spore transfer to clothing and subsequent environmental contamination. Spores resist alcohol-based sanitizers and persist on surfaces for months. Contact precautions, including gown use, reduce nosocomial spread. Normal white blood cell count is 4,000–11,000/mm³; elevated levels may indicate infection severity.
Choice B rationale: Isolation in a private room is critical for clients with confirmed Clostridium difficile infection due to the organism’s ability to form resilient spores that contaminate surfaces and equipment. Private rooms limit environmental exposure and reduce cross-contamination risk. C. difficile spores are resistant to routine cleaning agents and require bleach-based disinfectants. Diarrheal stool volume increases transmission risk. Normal stool frequency is 1–3 formed stools/day; 4–5 liquid stools/day indicates active infectious diarrhea requiring isolation.
Choice C rationale: N-95 respirators are designed for airborne pathogens such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, measles virus, or varicella-zoster virus. Clostridium difficile is not airborne; it transmits via contact with contaminated surfaces or hands. Spores are shed in feces and do not aerosolize under normal conditions. Therefore, N-95 respirators offer no added protection against CDI. Airborne precautions are unnecessary unless aerosol-generating procedures are performed on patients with concurrent airborne infections. Respiratory rate normal range is 12–20 breaths/min.
Choice D rationale: Negative pressure rooms are used to contain airborne pathogens by maintaining lower air pressure inside the room, preventing contaminated air from escaping. Clostridium difficile does not spread via airborne particles but through contact with contaminated surfaces and feces. Thus, negative pressure rooms are not scientifically justified for CDI. Instead, contact isolation and environmental decontamination are prioritized. Room air exchanges are irrelevant to CDI control. Normal room air pressure is neutral unless airborne precautions are indicated.
Choice E rationale: Masking the client is a droplet precaution used for pathogens like influenza virus, Neisseria meningitidis, or SARS-CoV-2. Clostridium difficile does not transmit via respiratory droplets, so placing a mask on the client during transport does not reduce transmission risk. Instead, hand hygiene and contact precautions are essential. CDI spores are not expelled via coughing or sneezing. Droplet precautions are reserved for pathogens with particle size >5 µm. Normal oxygen saturation is ≥95% on room air.
A nurse is admitting a client who speaks a different language than the nurse.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
A. Telephone the interpreter that is designated for the facility to interpret the information.
B. Call a nursing colleague who speaks the same language as the client to interpret the information.
C. Ask the client's partner to interpret the information.
D. Use an electronic translating service from the internet to interpret the information.
Full Explanation
A nurse in an emergency department is performing triage on a group of clients.
Which of the following clients should the nurse see first?
A. A client who has heart failure and peripheral edema.
B. A client who has cirrhosis of the liver and bruising on their arms.
C. A client who reports urinary burning and a temperature of 39.2° C (102.5° F).
D. A client who has a new onset of atrial fibrillation and a heart rate of 152/min.
Atrial fibrillation with a rapid heart rate can lead to decreased cardiac output and compromised blood flow, which can have serious consequences, including stroke and heart failure. Therefore, this client requires immediate attention to assess and manage the cardiac rhythm. While the other clients also have significant health concerns, they are not as acutely life-threatening as a new onset of atrial fibrillation with a high heart rate. Prioritizing care based on the urgency and severity of the condition is crucial in the emergency department setting.
Full Explanation
Atrial fibrillation with a rapid heart rate can lead to decreased cardiac output and compromised blood flow, which can have serious consequences, including stroke and heart failure. Therefore, this client requires immediate attention to assess and manage the cardiac rhythm.
While the other clients also have significant health concerns, they are not as acutely life-threatening as a new onset of atrial fibrillation with a high heart rate. Prioritizing care based on the urgency and severity of the condition is crucial in the emergency department setting.