Unit 4 Lung/Larynx Caner (test book) NCLEX

The charge nurse is assigning clients for the shift. Which client should be assigned to the new graduate nurse? 1. The client diagnosed with cancer of the lung who has chest tubes. 2. The client diagnosed with laryngeal spasms who has stridor. 3. The client diagnosed with laryngeal cancer who has multiple fistulas. 4. The client who is two (2) hours post-partial laryngectomy.

---1. Chest tubes are part of the nursing education curriculum. The new graduate should be capable of caring for this client or at least knowing when to get assistance. 2. This client is in respiratory compromise, and an experienced nurse should care for the client. 3. A client with multiple fistulas in the neck area is at high risk for airway compromise and should be assigned to a more experienced nurse. 4. This client is at risk for developing edema of the neck area and should be cared for by a more experienced nurse.

The client diagnosed with lung cancer is being discharged. Which statement made by the client indicates more teaching is required? 1. "It doesn't matter if I smoke now. I already have cancer." 2. "I should see the oncologist at my scheduled appointment." 3. "If I begin to run a fever, I should notify the HCP." 4. "I should plan for periods of rest throughout the day."

---1. Research indicates smoking will still interfere with the client's response to treatment, so more teaching is needed. 2. It is expected for the client to follow up with a specialist regarding subsequent treatment; therefore, the client does not need more teaching. 3. Clients diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment are at risk for developing infections, so more teaching is not needed. 4. Lung cancers produce fatigue as a result of physiological drains on the body in the areas of lack of adequate oxygen to the tissues, the tumor burden on the body, and the toll taken by the effects of the treatments. Cancer-related fatigue syndrome is a very real occurrence, so the client understands the teaching.

The nurse writes a problem of "impaired gas exchange" for a client diagnosed with cancer of the lung. Which interventions should be included in the plan of care? Select all that apply. 1. Apply O2 via nasal cannula. 2. Have the dietitian plan for six (6) small meals per day. 3. Place the client in respiratory isolation. 4. Assess vital signs for fever. 5. Listen to lung sounds every shift.

---1. Respiratory distress is a common finding in clients diagnosed with lung cancer. As the tumor grows and takes up more space or blocks air movement, the client may need to be taught positioning for lung expansion. The administration of oxygen will help the client to use the lung capacity that is available to get oxygen to the tissues. ---2. Clients with lung cancer frequently become fatigued trying to eat. Providing six (6) small meals spaces the amount of food the client eats throughout the day. 3. Cancer is not communicable, so the client does not need to be in isolation. ---4. Clients with cancer of the lung are at risk for developing an infection from lowered resistance as a result of treatments or from the tumor blocking secretions in the lung. Therefore, monitoring for the presence of fever, a possible indication of infection, is important. ---5. Assessment of the lungs should be completed on a routine and PRN basis.

The nurse and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are caring for a group of clients on a surgical floor. Which information provided by the UAP requires immediate intervention by the nurse? 1. There is a small, continuous amount of bright-red drainage coming out from under the dressing of the client who had a radical neck dissection. 2. The client who has had a right upper lobectomy is complaining that the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) pump is not providing any relief. 3. The client diagnosed with cancer of the lung is complaining of being tired and short of breath. 4. The client admitted with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is making a whistling sound with every breath.

---1. The most serious complication resulting from a radical neck dissection is rupture of the carotid artery. Continuous bright-red drainage indicates bleeding, and this client should be assessed immediately. 2. Pain is a priority but not over hemorrhaging. 3. Clients with cancer of the lung have fatigue and are short of breath; these are expected findings. 4. Clients with chronic lung problems are taught pursed-lip breathing to assist in expelling air. This type of breathing often produces a whistling sound.

The client is diagnosed with cancer of the larynx and is to have radiation therapy to the area. Which prophylactic procedure will the nurse prepare the client for? 1. Removal of the client's teeth and fitting for dentures. 2. Take antiemetic medications every four (4) hours. 3. Wear sunscreen on the area at all times. 4. Placement of a nasogastric feeding tube.

---1. The teeth will be in the area of radiation and the roots of teeth are highly sensitive to radiation, which results in root abscesses. The teeth are removed and the client is fitted for dentures prior to radiation. 2. An antiemetic on a routine scheduled basis is prophylactic for nausea, and the schedule is 30 minutes before a meal. Radiation to the throat does not encompass nausea-producing areas. 3. Sunscreen is used to prevent the penetration of ultraviolet (UV) rays into the dermis. Radiation is gamma rays. 4. The client may receive a PEG tube for severe esophagitis from irradiation of the esophagus. The client does not have a nasogastric tube.

The HCP has recommended a total laryngectomy for a male client diagnosed with cancer of the larynx but the client refuses. Which intervention by the nurse illustrates the ethical principle of nonmalfeasance? 1. The nurse listens to the client explain why he is refusing surgery. 2. The nurse and significant other insist that the client have the surgery. 3. The nurse refers the client to a counselor for help with the decision. 4. The nurse asks a cancer survivor to come and discuss the surgery with the client.

---1. This is an example of nonmalfeasance, where the nurse "does no harm." In attempting to discuss the client's refusal, the nurse is not trying to influence the client; the nurse is merely attempting to listen therapeutically. 2. This is an example of paternalism, telling the client what he should do, and it is also coercion, an unethical action. 3. This is an example of beneficence, "to do good"; it is a positive action and a step up from nonmalfeasance. 4. This is an example of beneficence.

The client diagnosed with lung cancer has been told the cancer has metastasized to the brain. Which intervention should the nurse implement? 1. Discuss implementing an advance directive. 2. Explain the use of chemotherapy for brain involvement. 3. Teach the client to discontinue driving. 4. Have the significant other make decisions for the client.

---1. This situation indicates a terminal process, and the client should make decisions for the end of life. 2. Radiation therapy is used for tumors in the brain. Chemotherapy as a whole will not cross the blood-brain barrier. 3. There is no indication the client cannot drive at this point. Clients may develop seizures from the tumors at some point. 4. The client should make decisions for himself or herself as long as possible. However, the client should discuss personal wishes with the person named in an advance directive to make decisions.

The client is admitted to the outpatient surgery center for a bronchoscopy to rule out cancer of the lung. Which information should the nurse teach? 1. The test will confirm the results of the MRI. 2. The client can eat and drink immediately after the test. 3. The HCP can do a biopsy of the tumor through the scope. 4. There is no discomfort associated with this procedure.

1. A bronchoscopy is not performed to confirm another test; it is performed to confirm diagnoses, such as cancer, Pneumocystis pneumonia, tuberculosis, fungal infections, and other lung diseases. 2. The client's throat will be numbed with a local anesthetic to prevent gagging during the procedure. The client will not be ableto eat or drink until this medication has worn off. ---3. The HCP can take biopsies and perform a washing of the lung tissue for pathological diagnosis during the procedure. 4. Most HCPs use an anesthetic procedure called twilight sleep to perform endoscopies, but there is no guarantee the client will not experience some discomfort.

The nursing staff on an oncology unit are interviewing applicants for the unit manager position. Which type of organizational structure does this represent? 1. Centralized decision making. 2. Decentralized decision making. 3. Shared governance. 4. Pyramid with filtered-down decisions.

1. A centralized system of organization means decisions are made at the top and given to the staff underneath to accept and implement. 2. A decentralized decision-making pattern means there is a fairly flat accountability chart. The unit manager has more autonomy in managing the unit, but this does not mean the staff has input into decisions. ---3. Shared governance is a system where the staff is empowered to make decisions such as scheduling and hiring of certain staff. Staff members are encouraged to participate in developing policies and procedures to reach set goals. 4. A pyramid decision-making tree is an example of a centralized system.

The client has had a total laryngectomy. Which referral is specific for this surgery? 1. CanSurmount. 2. Dialogue. 3. Lost Chord Club. 4. SmokEnders.

1. CanSurmount is a program of cancer survivors who volunteer to talk to clients about having cancer or what the treatments involve. This group is based on the success of Reach to Recovery for breast cancer, but it is not specific to a particular cancer. 2. Dialogue is a cancer support group that brings together clients diagnosed with cancer to discuss the feelings associated with having cancer. ---3. The Lost Chord Club is an American Cancer Society-sponsored group of survivors of larynx cancer. These clients are able to discuss the feelings and needs of clients who have had laryngectomies because they have all had this particular surgery. 4. SmokEnders is a group of clients working together to stop smoking. It is a group where anyone who smokes could be referred.

The nurse is admitting a client with a diagnosis of rule-out cancer of the larynx. Which information should the nurse teach? 1. Demonstrate the proper method of gargling with normal saline. 2. Perform voice exercises for 30 minutes three (3) times a day. 3. Explain that a lighted instrument will be placed in the throat to biopsy the area. 4. Teach the client to self-examine the larynx monthly.

1. Gargling with salt water is good for sore throats, but it does not diagnose cancer of the larynx. 2. Clients thought to have a vocal cord problem are encouraged to practice voice rest. Vocal cord exercises would not assist in the diagnosis of cancer. ---3. A laryngoscopy will be performed to allow for visualization of the vocal cords and to obtain a biopsy for pathological diagnosis. 4. There is no monthly self-examination of the larynx. To visualize the vocal cords, the HCP must numb the throat and pass a fiberoptic instrument through the throat and into the trachea.

The client diagnosed with lung cancer is in an investigational program and receiving a vaccine to treat the cancer. Which information regarding investigational regimens should the nurse teach? 1. Investigational regimens provide a better chance of survival for the client. 2. Investigational treatments have not been proven to be helpful to clients. 3. Clients will be paid to participate in an investigational program. 4. Only clients who are dying qualify for investigational treatments.

1. If the investigational regimen proves to be effective, then this statement is true. However, many investigational treatments have not proved to be efficacious. ---2. Investigational treatments are just that treatments being investigated to determine if they are effective in the care of clients diagnosed with cancer. There is no guarantee the treatments will help the client. 3. Clients receive medical care and associated treatments and laboratory tests at no cost, but the client is not paid. Paying the client is unethical. 4. Frequently clients who have failed standard treatments and who have no other hope of a treatment are the clients involved in investigational protocols, but the protocols can be used for any client who volunteers for investigational treatment.

The client diagnosed with cancer of the larynx has had four (4) weeks of radiation therapy to the neck. The client is complaining of severe pain when swallowing. Which scientific rationale explains the pain? 1. The cancer has grown to obstruct the esophagus. 2. The treatments are working on the cancer and the throat is edematous. 3. Cancers are painful and this is expected. 4. The treatments are also affecting the esophagus, causing ulcerations.

1. The cancer may have grown, but this would not be indicated by the type of pain described. 2. Painful swallowing is caused by esophageal irritation. 3. Most cancers are not painful unless obstructing an organ or pressing on a nerve. This is not what is being described. ---4. The esophagus is extremely radiosensitive, and esophageal ulcerations are common. The pain can become so severe the client cannot swallow saliva. This is a situation in which the client will be admitted to the hospital for IV narcotic pain medication and possibly total parenteral nutrition.

The client is three (3) days post-partial laryngectomy. Which type of nutrition should the nurse offer the client? 1. Total parenteral nutrition. 2. Soft, regular diet. 3. Partial parenteral nutrition. 4. Clear liquid diet.

1. The client is three (3) days postopertive partial removal of the larynx and should be eating by this time. ---2. The client should be eating normal foods by this time. The consistency should be soft to allow for less chewing of the food and easier swallowing because a portion of the throat musculature has been removed. The client should be taught to turn the head toward the affected side when swallowing to help prevent aspiration. 3. The client should be capable of enteral nutrition at this time. 4. The client should have progressed to a diet with a more normal consistency and amount.

The client diagnosed with oat cell carcinoma of the lung tells the nurse, "I am so tired of all this. I might as well just end it all." Which statement should be the nurse's first response? 1. Say, "This must be hard for you. Would you like to talk?" 2. Tell the HCP of the client's statement. 3. Refer the client to a social worker or spiritual advisor. 4. Find out if the client has a plan to carry out suicide.

1. The nurse might enter into a therapeutic conversation, but client safety is the priority. 2. The nurse must first assess the seriousness of the client's statement and whether he or she has a plan to carry out suicide. Depending on the client's responses, the nurse will notify the HCP. 3. The client can be referred for assistance in dealing with the disease and its ramifications, but this is not the priority. ---4. The priority action anytime a client makes a statement regarding taking his or her own life is to determine if the client has thought it through enough to have a plan. A plan indicates an emergency situation.

The client is four (4) hours post-lobectomy for cancer of the lung. Which assessment data warrant immediate intervention by the nurse? 1. The client has an intake of 1,500 mL IV and an output of 1,000 mL. 2. The client has 450 mL of bright-red drainage in the chest tube. 3. The client is complaining of pain at a "10" on a 1-to-10 scale. 4. The client has absent lung sounds on the side of the surgery.

1. This is an adequate output. After a major surgery, clients will frequently have an intake greater than the output because of the fluid shift occurring as a result of trauma to the body. ---2. This is about a pint of blood loss and could indicate the client is hemorrhaging. 3. The nurse should intervene and medicate the client, but pain, although a client comfort issue, is not life threatening. 4. The client will have a chest tube to assist in re-inflation of the lung, and absent lung sounds are expected at this point in the client's recovery.

The nurse is preparing the client diagnosed with laryngeal cancer for a laryngectomy in the morning. Which intervention is the nurse's priority? 1. Take the client to the intensive care unit for a visit. 2. Explain that the client will need to ask for pain medication. 3. Demonstrate the use of an antiembolism hose. 4. Find out if the client can read and write.

1. This is an appropriate preoperative intervention, but it is not priority. 2. The client should be taught about pain medication administration, but this is not the highest priority. 3. The client should be told about an antiembolism hose, but it is not necessary to demonstrate the hose because the nurse will apply and remove the hose initially. ---4. The client is having the vocal cords removed and will be unable to speak. Communication is a high priority for this client. If the client is able to read and write, a Magic Slate or pad of paper should be provided. If the client is illiterate, the nurse and the client should develop a method of communication using pictures.

The clinic nurse is interviewing clients. Which information provided by a client warrants further investigation? 1. The client uses Vicks VapoRub every night before bed. 2. The client has had an appendectomy. 3. The client takes a multiple vitamin pill every day. 4. The client has been coughing up blood in the mornings.

1. This is an individual cultural/familial situation and should be encouraged unless it interferes with the medical treatment plan. The nurse should be nonjudgmental when clients discuss their cultural practices if the nurse expects the clients to be honest about health practices. 2. An appendectomy in the past should be documented, but no further information is required. 3. Many clients take a multivitamin, so this would not warrant intervention. ---4. Coughing up blood is not normal and is cause for investigation. It could indicate lung cancer.

The nurse and an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) are caring for a group of clients on a medical unit. Which information provided by the UAP warrants immediate intervention by the nurse? 1. The client diagnosed with cancer of the lung has a small amount of blood in the sputum collection cup. 2. The client diagnosed with chronic emphysema is sitting on the side of the bed and leaning over the bedside table. 3. The client receiving Procrit, a biologic response modifier, has a T 99.2 ̊F, P 68, R 24, and BP of 198/102. 4. The client receiving prednisone, a steroid, is complaining of an upset stomach after eating breakfast.

1. This is expected from this client and does not warrant immediate attention. 2. This is called a three (3)-point stance. It is a position many clients with lung disease will assume because it assists in the expansion of the lung. ---3. Biologic response modifiers stimulate the bone marrow and can increase the client's blood pressure to dangerous levels. This BP is high and warrants immediate attention. 4. This client can be seen after taking care of the client in "3." The nurse should intervene, but it is not a life-threatening situation.

The male client has had a radial neck dissection for cancer of the larynx. Which action by the client indicates a disturbance in body image? 1. The client requests a consultation by the speech therapist. 2. The client has a towel placed over the mirror. 3. The client is attempting to shave himself. 4. The client practices neck and shoulder exercises.

1. This request indicates the client is accepting the situation and trying to deal with it. ---2. Placing a towel over the mirror indicates the client is having difficulty looking at his reflection, a body-image problem. 3. In attempting to shave himself, the client is participating in self-care activities and also must look at his neck in the mirror, both good steps toward adjustment. 4. Neck and shoulder exercises are done to strengthen the remaining musculature, but they have nothing to do with body image.

The client who has undergone a radical neck dissection and tracheostomy for cancer of the larynx is being discharged. Which discharge instructions should the nurse teach? Select all that apply. 1. The client will be able to speak again after the surgery area has healed. 2. The client should wear a protective covering over the stoma when showering. 3. The client should clean the stoma and then apply a petroleum-based ointment. 4. The client should use a humidifier in the room. 5. The client can get a special telephone for communication.

1. This surgery removed the client's vocal cords, so he or she will not be able to speak again unless the client learns esophageal speech, uses an electric larynx, or has a surgically created transesophageal puncture. ---2. The client breathes through a stoma in the neck. Care should be taken not to allow water to enter the stoma. ---3. The stoma should be cleaned, but petroleum-based products should not be allowed near the stoma. A petroleum-based product is contraindicated because it is not water-soluble, could contribute to an occlusion, and is flammable. 4. The client has lost the use of the nasal passages to humidify the inhaled air, and artificial humidification is useful until the client's body adapts to the change. ---5. Special equipment is available for clients who cannot hear or speak.

The nurse is taking the social history from a client diagnosed with small cell carcinoma of the lung. Which information is significant for this disease? 1. The client worked with asbestos for a short time many years ago. 2. The client has no family history for this type of lung cancer. 3. The client has numerous tattoos covering both upper and lower arms. 4. The client has smoked two (2) packs of cigarettes a day for 20 years.

1. Working with asbestos is significant for mesothelioma of the lung, a cancer with a very poor prognosis, but not for small cell carcinoma. 2. Family history is not the significant risk factor for small cell carcinoma. Smoking is the number-one risk factor. 3. Tattoos may be implicated in the development of blood-borne pathogen disease (if sterile needles were not used), but they do not have any association with cancer. ---4. Smoking is the number-one risk factor for developing cancer of the lung. More than 85% of lung cancers are attributable to inhalation of chemicals. There are more than 400 chemicals in each puff of cigarette smoke, 17 of which are known to cause cancer.

The nurse is writing a care plan for a client newly diagnosed with cancer of the larynx. Which problem is the highest priority? 1. Wound infection. 2. Hemorrhage. 3. Respiratory distress. 4. Knowledge deficit.

1. Wound infection is a concern, but in the list of the answer options it is not the highest priority. A wound infection can be treated, but a client who is not breathing is in a life-threatening situation and the problem must be addressed immediately. 2. Hemorrhage is normally a priority, but bleeding is not priority over not breathing. ---3. Respiratory distress is the highest priority. Hemorrhaging and infection are serious problems, but airway is priority. 4. Knowledge deficit is the lowest on this priority list. It is a psychosocial problem, and these problems rank lower in priority than physiological ones.