Skills Performing Range-of-Motion Exercises

Which of the following are basic guidelines when assisting a patient with passive range of motion? A. Exercises should be continued until the point of fatigue and pain. B. Exercises should be done frequently to lessen pain for the patient. C. Each joint is exercised to the point of resistance but not pain. D. Exercises should be performed without the support to each joint.

C. Each joint is exercised to the point of resistance but not pain.

Why would the nurse ask a physical therapist to perform passive ROM exercises for a patient with lower extremity injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash? A. The patient is an older adult or has a chronic condition. B. The patient is reluctant to perform the exercises because he is worried about reinjury. C. The patient has orthopedic trauma. D. The patient has pain exacerbated by exercise.

C. The patient has orthopedic trauma.

Which patient is most at risk of developing permanently impaired mobility? A. A 72-year-old woman hospitalized for anemia associated with diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease) B. A 55-year-old woman with mental illness who had become malnourished C. An 11-year-old boy who sustained a fractured pelvis during a fall from his tree house D. A 79-year-old man recovering from surgery to release a contracture of the connective tissue in his hand

A. A 72-year-old woman hospitalized for anemia associated with diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease) Rationale: Although the 72 year old woman's anemia will not affect her mobility, she is the patient most at risk of mobility impairment. The fact that she has diabetes, a serious chronic condition, puts her at high risk of mobility impairment. In addition, her age is a risk factor, since mobility impairment is more prevalent among older adults.

The nurse notes that a patient's left elbow is resistant to extension and flexion while performing range of motion exercises. What is the appropriate nursing action? A. Move the joint through the full range of motion exercises. B. Perform range of motion to the left elbow until resistance is met. C. Omit all the range of motion exercises until the health care provider is notified. D. Inform the health care provider that the patient is uncooperative with exercising.

B. Perform range of motion to the left elbow until resistance is met.

The nurse is performing passive shoulder and elbow exercises for a patient who is recovering from surgery to remove a soft-tissue tumor in her upper arm. Why does the nurse cup one hand around the patient's elbow and support the forearm and wrist during the ROM exercises? A. To keep the arm above the level of the heart B. To assess the patient's muscle tension C. To listen for crepitus in the joint D. To ensure stability while exercising the joint

D. To ensure stability while exercising the joint