Chapter 14: Assessing Skin, Hair, and Nails

A nurse has been assigned a group of clients. Which client is at highest risk for developing skin cancer?

67-year-old White female

A golden yellow pigment that is heavily keratinized and is found in subcutaneous fat is called what?

Carotene

A nurse observes patchy hair loss of a client who just started chemotherapy a few months earlier. Which of the following actions will the nurse take?

Document findings.

A nurse cares for a client of Asian descent and notices that the client sweats very little and produces no body odor. What is an appropriate action by the nurse in regards to this finding?

Document the findings in the client's record as normal

The nurse notes a large keloid on the pierced ear of an adolescent. The client asks what caused this finding. Which of the following would the nurse incorporate into the response as the most likely cause?

Excessive collagen formation

A client tells the nurse about a raised lesion on the client's leg. What is the nurse's first nursing action?

Inspect the area

A client tells the clinic nurse that his feet and lower legs turn a blue color. On assessment, the nurse notes that the client's oxygenation level is within normal levels. The nurse knows that the blue color the client described is caused by what?

Peripheral cyanosis

A nurse assesses a client for past history of nail problems. The nurse should ask questions about which of these conditions?

Psoriasis, fungal infections, trauma

A client presents to the health care clinic with reports of changes in the skin. Which data should the nurse document as objective with regards to the skin?

Skin warm and dry to the touch

The analysis of a client's arterial blood indicates a normal level of arterial oxygen, but the client's skin is cyanotic. What is a likely cause of this condition?

The cyanosis may be a result of a prolonged period of exposure to the cold.

What is the most important focus area for the integumentary system?

UV radiation exposure

To assess for anemia in a dark-skinned client, the nurse should observe the client's skin for a color that appears

ashen.

While assessing the skin of an older adult client, the nurse observes that the client has small yellowish brown patches on her hands. The nurse should instruct the client that these spots are

caused by aging of the skin in older adults.

A nurse is providing care to a female client with a history of Cushing's disease. What findings should the nurse expect with this client?

increased body and facial hair

When documenting that a client has freckles, the appropriate term to use is

macules

A nurse cares for a client with a stage II pressure ulcer on the right hip. The nurse anticipates finding what type of appearance to the skin over this area?

Broken with the presence of a blister