Chapter 47: Assessment of Endocrine System ANS
A patient will be scheduled in the outpatient clinic for blood cortisol testing. Which instruction will the nurse provide?
"Come to the laboratory to have the blood drawn early in the morning."
Which question from a nurse during a patient interview will provide focused information about a possible thyroid disorder?
"Have you had a recent unplanned weight gain or loss?"
Which statement by a 50-yr-old female patient indicates to the nurse that further assessment of thyroid function may be necessary?
"I feel a lump in my throat when I swallow."
Which statements will the nurse include when teaching a patient who is scheduled for oral glucose tolerance testing in the outpatient clinic (select all that apply)?
"You will need to avoid smoking before the test." "Several blood samples will be obtained during the testing." "The test requires that you fast for at least 8 hours before testing."
An 18-yr-old male patient with small stature is scheduled for a growth hormone stimulation test. In preparation for the test, the nurse will obtain
50% dextrose solution.
A patient with a possible pituitary adenoma is scheduled for a computed tomography (CT) scan with contrast media. Which patient information is important for the nurse to communicate to the health care provider before the test?
Allergies to iodine and shellfish
A patient seen in the emergency department for severe headache and acute confusion has a serum sodium level of 118 mEq/L. The nurse will anticipate the need for which diagnostic test?
Antidiuretic hormone level
The nurse is caring for a 63-yr-old with a possible pituitary tumor who is scheduled for a computed tomography scan with contrast. Which information about the patient is important to discuss with the health care provider before the test?
History of renal insufficiency
A patient is admitted with tetany. Which laboratory value should the nurse plan to monitor?
Ionized calcium
A registered nurse (RN) is caring for a patient with a goiter and possible hyperthyroidism. Which action by the RN indicates that the charge nurse needs to provide the RN with additional teaching?
The RN palpates the neck to assess thyroid size.
The nurse is caring for a 45-yr-old male patient during a water deprivation test. Which finding is most important for the nurse to communicate to the health care provider?
The patient has a 5-lb (2.3-kg) weight loss.
Which information about a patient who is scheduled for an oral glucose tolerance test should be reported to the health care provider before starting the test?
The patient takes oral corticosteroids for rheumatoid arthritis.
Which additional information will the nurse need to consider when reviewing the laboratory results for a patient's total calcium level?
The serum albumin
Which laboratory value should the nurse review to determine whether a patient's hypothyroidism is caused by a problem with the anterior pituitary gland or with the thyroid gland?
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level
A patient has been newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Which information about the patient will be most useful to the nurse who is helping the patient develop strategies for successful adaptation to this disease?
Value system
The nurse will plan to teach a patient to minimize physical and emotional stress while the patient is undergoing
a 24-hour urine test for free cortisol.
During the nurse's physical examination of a young adult, the patient's thyroid gland cannot be felt. The most appropriate action by the nurse is to
document that the thyroid was nonpalpable.
A patient is taking spironolactone (Aldactone), a drug that blocks the action of aldosterone on the kidney, for hypertension. The nurse will monitor for
elevated serum potassium.
The nurse reviews a patient's glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) results to evaluate
glucose control over the past 90 days.
A young adult patient is being seen in the clinic with increased secretion of the anterior pituitary hormones. The nurse would expect the laboratory test results to show
increased urinary cortisol.
The nurse will teach a patient who is scheduled to complete a 24-hour urine collection for 17-ketosteroids to
keep the specimen refrigerated or on ice.
A 61-yr-old female patient admitted with pneumonia has a total serum calcium level of 13.3 mg/dL (3.3 mmol/L). The nurse will anticipate the need to teach the patient about testing for _____ levels.
parathyroid hormone
