Chapter 14: Assessing Skin, Hair, Nails

A nurse performs a focused assessment on a new client. The nurse observes that the client's nails are extremely short and jagged. The client states they have a tendency to bite their nails. What is the best response by the nurse?

"Do you feel anxious at times?"

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 nurse receives report from the shift nurse that a client has new onset of peripheral cyanosis. Where should the nurse focus the assessment of the skin to detect the presence of this condition?

Fingers and toes

What light should the nurse use to inspect a lesion on the thigh of a client for the presence of fungus?

Wool's light

Which layer of the skin contains blood vessels, nerves, sebaceous glands, lymphatic vessels, hair follicles, and sweat glands?

Dermis

The nurse is preparing to perform a physical examination of a client who is an Orthodox Jew. Which of the following accommodations should the nurse be prepared to make for this client, based on his religious beliefs?

Have a nurse who is the same sex as the client examine him