Nursing practice questions with comprehensive rationales
NurseDive Free Nursing Practice Question
Nurses often work in stressful environments. Which of the following negative impacts of stress may occur?
A. Low blood pressure
Stress typically activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to elevated blood pressure rather than hypotension. Chronic stress may contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular risk.
B. Increased immune system
Stress suppresses immune function over time. While acute stress may temporarily boost immune activity, chronic stress impairs immune responses, increasing susceptibility to infections and slowing wound healing.
C. Increased depression
Increased depression is a well-documented consequence of chronic stress. Nurses exposed to high workloads, emotional demands, and ethical dilemmas may experience burnout, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, affecting their well-being and performance.
D. Low blood sugar
Stress can influence glucose metabolism, but it more commonly leads to elevated blood sugar due to cortisol release. Hypoglycemia is not a typical direct result of stress unless compounded by other factors like poor nutrition or insulin mismanagement.
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Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Stress typically activates the sympathetic nervous system, leading to elevated blood pressure rather than hypotension. Chronic stress may contribute to hypertension and cardiovascular risk.
Choice B reason: Stress suppresses immune function over time. While acute stress may temporarily boost immune activity, chronic stress impairs immune responses, increasing susceptibility to infections and slowing wound healing.
Choice C reason: Increased depression is a well-documented consequence of chronic stress. Nurses exposed to high workloads, emotional demands, and ethical dilemmas may experience burnout, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, affecting their well-being and performance.
Choice D reason: Stress can influence glucose metabolism, but it more commonly leads to elevated blood sugar due to cortisol release. Hypoglycemia is not a typical direct result of stress unless compounded by other factors like poor nutrition or insulin mismanagement.
Similar Questions
Which is an example of primordial prevention?
A. Improving access to safe walking trails in urban areas to promote physical activity.
Primordial prevention refers to interventions that prevent the emergence of risk factors themselves, often through environmental or policy-level changes. Improving access to safe walking trails promotes physical activity before sedentary behavior becomes a risk factor, thereby preventing the development of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. This aligns with the upstream approach of modifying social and environmental determinants of health.
B. Educating an older adult about healthy eating habits.
Educating an older adult about healthy eating habits is an example of primary prevention. It targets individuals who may already be at risk and aims to prevent the onset of disease through behavioral changes, not the creation of a health-promoting environment.
C. Developing a to-do checklist routine for diabetic foot care.
Developing a checklist for diabetic foot care is a tertiary prevention strategy. It focuses on managing and preventing complications in individuals who already have a diagnosed condition—in this case, diabetes.
D. Handing out flyers for free mammograms at a rural public fair.
Handing out flyers for free mammograms is a form of secondary prevention. It aims to detect disease early (breast cancer) through screening and prompt intervention, not to prevent the development of risk factors.
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Primordial prevention refers to interventions that prevent the emergence of risk factors themselves, often through environmental or policy-level changes. Improving access to safe walking trails promotes physical activity before sedentary behavior becomes a risk factor, thereby preventing the development of chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. This aligns with the upstream approach of modifying social and environmental determinants of health.
Choice B reason: Educating an older adult about healthy eating habits is an example of primary prevention. It targets individuals who may already be at risk and aims to prevent the onset of disease through behavioral changes, not the creation of a health-promoting environment.
Choice C reason: Developing a checklist for diabetic foot care is a tertiary prevention strategy. It focuses on managing and preventing complications in individuals who already have a diagnosed condition—in this case, diabetes.
Choice D reason: Handing out flyers for free mammograms is a form of secondary prevention. It aims to detect disease early (breast cancer) through screening and prompt intervention, not to prevent the development of risk factors.
A nurse is prioritizing care for several clients on a busy hospital unit. Based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, which client should the nurse attend to first?
A. A client who is anxious about an upcoming surgery and requests emotional support.
Anxiety and emotional support fall under the category of safety and psychological needs. While important, they are not as urgent as physiological needs such as pain management.
B. A client who is complaining of severe pain and requests pain medication.
Severe pain is a physiological need, which is the most basic and urgent level in Maslow’s hierarchy. Addressing pain is essential for comfort, healing, and preventing complications such as increased stress response or impaired mobility.
C. A client who is requesting information about financial assistance for their medical bills.
Financial assistance relates to long-term security and social needs. It does not pose an immediate threat to the client’s physical well-being and can be addressed after urgent physiological concerns.
D. A client who is feeling very lonely and asks to speak with someone.
Loneliness is a social and emotional need. While it affects mental health, it does not take precedence over acute physical distress such as severe pain.
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Anxiety and emotional support fall under the category of safety and psychological needs. While important, they are not as urgent as physiological needs such as pain management.
Choice B reason: Severe pain is a physiological need, which is the most basic and urgent level in Maslow’s hierarchy. Addressing pain is essential for comfort, healing, and preventing complications such as increased stress response or impaired mobility.
Choice C reason: Financial assistance relates to long-term security and social needs. It does not pose an immediate threat to the client’s physical well-being and can be addressed after urgent physiological concerns.
Choice D reason: Loneliness is a social and emotional need. While it affects mental health, it does not take precedence over acute physical distress such as severe pain.
A public health team is evaluating several proposals to reduce future cardiovascular disease in a low-income neighborhood. Which proposal demonstrates a secondary prevention approach?
A. Offering free cholesterol screenings at local clinics.
Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and prompt intervention to halt or slow the progression of disease. Offering cholesterol screenings identifies individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease before symptoms appear, allowing for timely management through lifestyle changes or medication.
B. Partnering with schools to provide healthy meals.
Partnering with schools to provide healthy meals is a form of primary prevention. It aims to prevent the development of cardiovascular risk factors by promoting healthy eating habits in children.
C. Launching a campaign to reduce sodium intake in adults.
Launching a campaign to reduce sodium intake is also primary prevention. It targets the general population to reduce the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease before any clinical signs emerge.
D. Installing walking and biking trails in the neighborhood.
Installing walking and biking trails is an example of primordial prevention. It modifies the environment to encourage physical activity, thereby preventing the emergence of sedentary lifestyles and associated risk factors.
Full Explanation
Choice A reason: Secondary prevention focuses on early detection and prompt intervention to halt or slow the progression of disease. Offering cholesterol screenings identifies individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease before symptoms appear, allowing for timely management through lifestyle changes or medication.
Choice B reason: Partnering with schools to provide healthy meals is a form of primary prevention. It aims to prevent the development of cardiovascular risk factors by promoting healthy eating habits in children.
Choice C reason: Launching a campaign to reduce sodium intake is also primary prevention. It targets the general population to reduce the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease before any clinical signs emerge.
Choice D reason: Installing walking and biking trails is an example of primordial prevention. It modifies the environment to encourage physical activity, thereby preventing the emergence of sedentary lifestyles and associated risk factors.