NUR205- EXAM 2

1. Read the following scenario and identify the adjective used to describe the characteristics of patient data that are numbered below. Place your answers on the lines provided. The nurse is conducting an initial assessment of a 79-year-old female patient admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of dehydration. The nurse (1) uses clinical reasoning to identify the need to perform a comprehensive assessment and gather the appropriate patient data. (2) First the nurse asks the patient about the most important details leading up to her diagnosis. Then the nurse (3) collects as much information as possible to understand the patient's health problems; (4) collects the patient data in an organized manner; (5) verifies that the data obtained is pertinent to the patient care plan; and (6) records the data according to facility's policy. (1) ___________________ (2) ___________________ (3) ___________________ (4) ___________________ (5) ___________________ (6) ___________________

(1) Purposeful: The nurse identifies the purpose of the nursing assessment (comprehensive) and gathers the appropriate data. (2) Prioritized: The nurse gets the most important information first. (3) Complete: The nurse gathers as much data as possible to understand the patient health problem and develop a care plan. (4) Systematic: The nurse gathers the information in an organized manner. (5) Accurate and relevant: The nurse verifies that the information is reliable. (6) Recorded in a standard format: The nurse records the data according to the facility's policy so that all caregivers can easily access what is learned.

Read the following patient scenario and identify the step of the nursing process represented by each numbered and boldfaced nursing activity. Annie seeks the help of the nurse in the student health clinic because she suspects that her roommate, Angela, suffered date rape. She is concerned because Angela chose not to report the rape and does not seem to be coping well. (1) After talking with Annie, the nurse learns that although Angela blurted out that she had been raped when she first came home, since then she has refused verbalization about the rape ("I don't want to think or talk about it"), has stopped attending all college social activities (a marked change in behavior), and seems to be having nightmares. After analyzing the data, the nurse believes that Angela might be experiencing (2) rape-trauma syndrome: silent reaction. Fortunately, Angela trusts Annie and is willing to come to the student health center for help. A conversation with Angela confirms the nurse's suspicions, and problem identification begins. The nurse talks further with Angela (3) to develop some treatment goals and formulate outcomes. The nurse also begins to think about the types of nursing interventions most likely to yield the desired outcomes. In the initial meeting with Angela, (4) the nurse encourages her expression of feelings and helps her to identify personal coping strategies and strengths. The nurse and Angela decide to meet in 1 week (5) to assess her progress toward achieving targeted outcomes. If she is not making progress, the care plan might need to be modified. (1) _____________________ (2) _____________________ (3) _____________________ (4) _____________________ (5) _____________________

(1) is an illustration of assessing: the collection of patient data. (2) is an illustration of the identification of a nursing diagnosis: a health problem that independent nursing intervention can resolve. (3) is an illustration of planning: outcome identification and related nursing interventions. (4) is an illustration of implementing: carrying out the care plan. (5) is an illustration of evaluating: measuring the extent to which Angela has achieved targeted outcomes.

The nurse collects objective and subjective data when conducting patient assessments. Which patient situations are examples of subjective data? Select all that apply. A. A patient tells the nurse that she is feeling nauseous. B. A patient's ankles are swollen. C. A patient tells the nurse that she is nervous about her test results. D. A patient complains that the skin on her arms is tingling. E. A patient rates his pain as a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. F. A patient vomits after eating supper.

a, c, d, e. Subjective data are information perceived only by the affected person; these data cannot be perceived or verified by another person. Examples of subjective data are feeling nervous, nauseated, tingling, and experiencing pain. Objective data are observable and measurable data that can be seen, heard, or felt by someone other than the person experiencing them. Examples of objective data are an elevated temperature reading (e.g., 101°F), edema, and vomiting.

A nurse caring for culturally diverse patients in a health care provider's office is aware that patients of certain cultures are more prone to specific disease states than the general population. Which patients would the nurse screen for diabetes mellitus based on the patient's race? Select all that apply. A. A Native American patient B. An African-American patient C. An Alaska Native D. An Asian patient E. A White patient F. A Hispanic patient

a, c, e, f. Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Hispanics, and Whites are more prone to developing diabetes mellitus. African Americans are prone to hypertension, stroke, sickle cell anemia, lactose intolerance, and keloids. Asians are prone to hypertension, liver cancer, thalassemia, and lactose intolerance

A nurse is using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice (JHNEBP) model PET as a clinical decision-making tool when delivering care to patients. Which steps reflect the intended use of this tool? Select all that apply. A. A nurse recruits an interprofessional team to develop and refine an EBP question. B. A nurse draws from personal experiences of being a patient to establish a therapeutic relationship with a patient. C. A nurse searches the Internet to find the latest treatments for type 2 diabetes. D. A nurse uses spiritual training to draw strength when counseling a patient who is in hospice for an inoperable brain tumor. E. A nurse questions the protocol for assessing postoperative patients in the ICU. F. A nursing student studies anatomy and physiology of the body systems to understand the disease states of assigned patients.

a, c, e. (The JHNEBP model is a powerful problem-solving approach to clinical decision making, and is accompanied by user-friendly tools to guide individual or group use. It is designed specifically to meet the needs of the practicing nurse and uses a three-step process called PET: practice question, evidence, and translation. The goal of the model is to ensure that the latest research findings and best practices are quickly and appropriately incorporated into patient care. Steps in PET include, but are not limited to, recruiting an interprofessional team, developing and refining the EBP question, and conducting internal and external searches for evidence.)

A nurse is attempting to improve care on the pediatric ward of a hospital. Which nursing improvements might the nurse employ when following the recommendations of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on Quality of Health Care in America? Select all that apply. A. Basing patient care on continuous healing relationships B. Customizing care to reflect the competencies of the staff C. Using evidence-based decision making D. Having a charge nurse as the source of control E. Using safety as a system priority F. Recognizing the need for secrecy to protect patient privacy

a, c, e. Care should be based on continuous healing relationships and evidence-based decision making. Customization should be based on patient needs and values with the patient as the source of control. Safety should be used as a system priority, and the need for transparency should be recognized.

A new nurse who is being oriented to the subacute care unit is expected to follow existing standards when providing patient care. Which nursing actions are examples of these standards? Select all that apply. A. Monitoring patient status every hour B. Using intuition to troubleshoot patient problems C. Turning a patient on bed rest every 2 hours D. Becoming a nurse mentor to a student nurse E. Administering pain medication ordered by the physician F. Becoming involved in community nursing events

a, c, e. Standards are the levels of performance accepted and expected by the nursing staff or other health care team members. They are established by authority, custom, or consent. Standards would include monitoring patient status every hour, turning a patient on bed rest every 2 hours, and administering pain medication ordered by the physician. Using intuition to troubleshoot patient problems, becoming a nurse mentor to a student nurse, and becoming involved in community nursing events are not patient care standards.

A nurse is using critical pathway methodology for choosing interventions for a patient who is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. Which nursing actions are characteristics of this system being used when planning care? Select all that apply. A. The nurse uses a minimal practice standard and is able to alter care to meet the patient's individual needs. B. The nurse uses a binary decision tree for stepwise assessment and intervention. C. The nurse is able to measure the cause-and-effect relationship between pathway and patient outcomes. D. The nurse uses broad, research-based practice recommendations that may or may not have been tested in clinical practice. E. The nurse uses preprinted provider orders used to expedite the order process after a practice standard has been validated through research. F. The nurse uses a decision tree that provides intense specificity and no provider flexibility.

a, c. A critical pathway represents a sequential, interdisciplinary, minimal practice standard for a specific patient population that provides flexibility to alter care to meet individualized patient needs. It also offers the ability to measure a cause-and-effect relationship between pathway and patient outcomes. An algorithm is a binary decision tree that guides stepwise assessment and intervention with intense specificity and no provider flexibility. Guidelines are broad, research-based practice recommendations that may or may not have been tested in clinical practice, and an order set is a preprinted provider order used to expedite the order process after a practice standard has been validated through analytical research.

During a nursing staff meeting, the nurses resolve a problem of delayed documentation by agreeing unanimously that they will make sure all vital signs are reported and charted within 15 minutes following assessment. This is an example of which characteristics of effective communication? Select all that apply. A. Group decision making B. Group leadership C. Group power D. Group identity E. Group patterns of interaction F. Group cohesiveness

a, d, e, f. Solving problems involves group decision making; ascertaining that the staff completes a task on time and that all members agree the task is important is a characteristic of group identity; group patterns of interaction involve honest communication and member support; and cohesiveness occurs when members generally trust each other, have a high commitment to the group, and a high degree of cooperation. Group leadership occurs when groups use effective styles of leadership to meet goals; with group power, sources of power are recognized and used appropriately to accomplish group outcomes.

A nurse is using the implementation step of the nursing process to provide care for patients in a busy hospital setting. Which nursing actions best represent this step? Select all that apply. A. The nurse carefully removes the bandages from a burn victim's arm. B. The nurse assesses a patient to check nutritional status. C. The nurse formulates a nursing diagnosis for a patient with epilepsy. D. The nurse turns a patient in bed every 2 hours to prevent pressure injuries. E. The nurse checks a patient's insurance coverage at the initial interview. F. The nurse checks for community resources for a patient with dementia.

a, d, f. During the implementing step of the nursing process, nursing actions planned in the previous step are carried out. The purpose of implementation is to assist the patient in achieving valued health outcomes: promote health, prevent disease and illness, restore health, and facilitate coping with altered functioning. Assessing a patient for nutritional status or insurance coverage occurs in the assessment step, and formulating nursing diagnoses occurs in the diagnosing step.

In order to provide culturally competent care, nurses must be alert to factors inhibiting sensitivity to diversity in the health care system. Which nursing actions are examples of cultural imposition? Select all that apply. A. A hospital nurse tells a nurse's aide that patients should not be given a choice whether or not to shower or bathe daily. B. A nurse treats all patients the same whether or not they come from a different culture. C. A nurse tells another nurse that Jewish diet restrictions are just a way for them to get a special tray of their favorite foods. D. A Catholic nurse insists that a patient diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer see the chaplain in residence. E. A nurse directs interview questions to an older adult's daughter even though the patient is capable of answering them. F. A nurse refuses to care for a married gay man who is HIV positive because she is against same-sex marriage.

a, d. Cultural imposition occurs when a hospital nurse tells a nurse's aide that patients should not be given a choice whether or not to shower or bathe daily, and when a Catholic nurse insists that a patient diagnosed with terminal bladder cancer see the chaplain in residence. Cultural blindness occurs when a nurse treats all patients the same whether or not they come from a different culture. Culture conflict occurs when a nurse ridicules a patient by telling another nurse that Jewish diet restrictions are just a way for Jewish patients to get a special tray of their favorite foods. When a nurse refuses to respect an older adult's ability to speak for himself or herself, or if the nurse refuses to treat a patient based on that patient's sexual orientation, the nurse is engaging in stereotyping.

The nurse uses blended competencies when caring for patients in a rehabilitation facility. Which examples of interventions involve cognitive skills? Select all that apply. A. The nurse uses critical thinking skills to plan care for a patient. B. The nurse correctly administers IV saline to a patient who is dehydrated. C. The nurse assists a patient to fill out an informed consent form. D. The nurse learns the correct dosages for patient pain medications. E. The nurse comforts a mother whose baby was born with Down syndrome. F. The nurse uses the proper procedure to catheterize a female patient.

a, d. Using critical thinking and learning medication dosages are cognitive competencies. Performing procedures correctly is a technical skill, helping a patient with an informed consent form is a legal/ethical issue, and comforting a patient is an interpersonal skill.

3. The nurse is admitting a 35-year-old pregnant woman to the hospital for treatment of preeclampsia. The patient asks the nurse: "Why are you doing a history and physical exam when the doctor just did one?" Which statements best explain the primary reasons a nursing assessment is performed? Select all that apply. A. "The nursing assessment will allow us to plan and deliver individualized, holistic nursing care that draws on your strengths." B. "It's hospital policy. I know it must be tiresome, but I will try to make this quick!" C. "I'm a student nurse and need to develop the skill of assessing your health status and need for nursing care." D. "We want to make sure that your responses to the medical exam are consistent and that all our data are accurate." E. "We need to check your health status and see what kind of nursing care you may need." F. "We need to see if you require a referral to a physician or other health care professional."

a, e, f. Medical assessments target data pointing to pathologic conditions, whereas nursing assessments focus on the patient's responses to health problems. The initial comprehensive nursing assessment results in baseline data that enable the nurse to make a judgment about a patient's health status, the ability to manage his or her own health care and the need for nursing. It also helps nurses plan and deliver individualized, holistic nursing care that draws on the patient's strengths and promotes optimum functioning, independence, and well-being, and enables the nurse to refer the patient to a physician or other health care professional, if indicated. The fact that this is hospital policy is a secondary reason, and although it may be true that a nurse may need to develop assessment skills, it is not the chief reason the nurse performs a nursing history and exam. The assessment is not performed to check the accuracy of the medical examination.

A nurse writes the following outcome for a patient who is trying to lose weight: "The patient can explain the relationship between weight loss, increased exercise, and decreased calorie intake." This is an example of what type of outcome? A. Cognitive B. Psychomotor C. Affective D. Physical changes

a. Cognitive outcomes involve increases in patient knowledge; psychomotor outcomes describe the patient's achievement of new skills; affective outcomes pertain to changes in patient values, beliefs, and attitudes; and physical changes are actual bodily changes in the patient (e.g., weight loss, increased muscle tone).

A charge nurse meets with staff to outline a plan to provide transcultural nursing care for patients in their health care facility. Which theorist promoted this type of caring as the central theme of nursing care, knowledge, and practice? A. Madeline Leininger B. Jean Watson C. Dorothy E. Johnson D. Betty Newman

a. (Madeline Leininger's theory provides the foundations of transcultural nursing care by making caring the central theme of nursing. Jean Watson stated that nursing is concerned with promoting and restoring health, preventing illness, and caring for the sick. The central theme of Dorothy E. Johnson's theory is that problems arise because of disturbances in the system or subsystem or functioning below optimal level. Betty Newman proposed that humans are in constant relationship with stressors in the environment and the major concern for nursing is keeping the patient system stable through accurate assessment of these stressors.)

A student nurse interacting with patients on a cardiac unit recognizes the four concepts in nursing theory that determine nursing practice. Of these four, which is most important? A. Person B. Environment C. Health D. Nursing

a. (Of the four concepts, the most important is the person. The focus of nursing, regardless of definition or theory, is the person.)

A nurse manager schedules a clinic for the staff to address common nursing interventions used in the facility and to explore how they can be performed more efficiently and effectively. The nurse manager's actions to change clinical practice are an example of a situation described by which nursing theory? A. Prescriptive theory B. Descriptive theory C. Developmental theory D. General systems theory

a. (Prescriptive theories address nursing interventions and are designed to control, promote, and change clinical nursing practice. Descriptive theories describe a phenomenon, an event, a situation, or a relationship. Developmental theory outlines the process of growth and development of humans as orderly and predictable, beginning with conception and ending with death. General systems theory describes how to break whole things into parts and then to learn how the parts work together in "systems.")

A nurse notices a patient is walking to the bathroom with a stooped gait, facial grimacing, and gasping sounds. Based on these nonverbal clues, for which condition would the nurse assess? A. Pain B. Anxiety C. Depression D. Fluid volume deficit

a. A patient who presents with nonverbal communication of a stooped gait, facial grimacing, and gasping sounds is most likely experiencing pain. The nurse should clarify this nonverbal behavior.

The nurse records a patient's blood pressure as 148/100. What is the priority action of the nurse when determining the significance of this reading? A. Compare this reading to standards. B. Check the taxonomy of nursing diagnoses for a pertinent label. C. Check a medical text for the signs and symptoms of high blood pressure. D. Consult with colleagues.

a. A standard, or a norm, is a generally accepted rule, measure, pattern, or model to which data can be compared in the same class or category. For example, when determining the significance of a patient's blood pressure reading, appropriate standards include normative values for the patient's age group, race, and illness category. Deviation from an appropriate norm may be the basis for writing a diagnosis.

A nurse is assessing a patient who is diagnosed with anorexia. Following the assessment, the nurse recommends that the patient meet with a nutritionist. This action best exemplifies the use of: A. Clinical judgment B. Clinical reasoning C. Critical thinking D. Blended competencies

a. Although all the options refer to the skills used by nurses in practice, the best choice is clinical judgment as it refers to the result or outcome of critical thinking or clinical reasoning—in this case, the recommendation to meet with a nutritionist. Clinical reasoning usually refers to ways of thinking about patient care issues (determining, preventing, and managing patient problems). Critical thinking is a broad term that includes reasoning both outside and inside of the clinical setting. Blended competencies are the cognitive, technical, interpersonal, and ethical and legal skills combined with the willingness to use them creatively and critically when working with patients.

An experienced nurse tells a beginning nurse not to bother studying too hard, since most clinical reasoning becomes "second nature" and "intuitive" once you start practicing. What thinking below should underlie the beginning nurse's response? A. Intuitive problem solving comes with years of practice and observation, and novice nurses should base their care on scientific problem solving. B. For nursing to remain a science, nurses must continue to be vigilant about stamping out intuitive reasoning. C. The emphasis on logical, scientific, evidence-based reasoning has held nursing back for years; it is time to champion intuitive, creative thinking! D. It is simply a matter of preference; some nurses are logical, scientific thinkers, and some are intuitive, creative thinkers.

a. Beginning nurses must use nursing knowledge and scientific problem solving as the basis of care they give; intuitive problem solving comes with years of practice and observation. If the beginning nurse has an intuition about a patient, that information should be discussed with the faculty member, preceptor, or supervisor. Answer b is incorrect because there is a place for intuitive reasoning in nursing, but it will never replace logical, scientific reasoning. Critical thinking is contextual and changes depending on the circumstances, not on personal preference.

A nurse is preparing a clinical outcome for a patient who is an avid runner and who is recovering from a stroke that caused right-sided paresis. What is an example of this type of outcome? A. After receiving 3 weeks of physical therapy, patient will demonstrate improved movement on the right side of her body. B. By 8/15/20, patient will be able to use right arm to dress, comb hair, and feed herself. C. Following physical therapy, patient will begin to gradually participate in walking/running events. D. By 8/15/20, patient will verbalize feeling sufficiently prepared to participate in running events.

a. Clinical outcomes describe the expected status of health issues at certain points in time, after treatment is complete. Functional outcomes (b) describe the person's ability to function in relation to the desired usual activities. Quality-of-life outcomes (c) focus on key factors that affect someone's ability to enjoy life and achieve personal goals. Affective outcomes (d) describe changes in patient values, beliefs, and attitudes.

When the initial nursing assessment revealed that a patient had not had a bowel movement for 2 days, the student nurse wrote the diagnostic label "constipation." What would be the instructor's BEST response to this student's diagnosis? A. "Was this diagnosis derived from a cluster of significant data or a single clue?" B. "This early diagnosis will help us manage the problem before it becomes more acute." C. "Have you determined if this is an actual or a possible diagnosis?" D. "This condition is a medical problem that should not have a nursing diagnosis."

a. Nursing diagnoses should always be derived from clusters of significant data rather than from a single cue. A data cluster is a grouping of patient data or cues that point to the existence of a patient health problem. There may be a reason for the lack of a bowel movement for 2 days, or it might be this person's normal pattern.

A school nurse notices that a student is losing weight and decides to perform a focused nutritional assessment to rule out an eating disorder. What is the nurse's best action? A. Perform the focused assessment as this is an independent nurse-initiated intervention. B. Request an order from Jill's physician since this is a physician-initiated intervention. C. Request an order from Jill's physician since this is a collaborative intervention. D. Request an order from the nutritionist since this is a collaborative intervention.

a. Performing a focused assessment is an independent nurse-initiated intervention; thus the nurse does not need an order from the physician or the nutritionist.

A quality-assurance program reveals a higher incidence of falls and other safety violations on a particular unit. A nurse manager states, "We'd better find the people responsible for these errors and see if we can replace them." This is an example of: A. Quality by inspection B. Quality by punishment C. Quality by surveillance D. Quality by opportunity

a. Quality by inspection focuses on finding deficient workers and removing them. Quality as opportunity focuses on finding opportunities for improvement and fosters an environment that thrives on teamwork, with people sharing the skills and lessons they have learned. Quality by punishment and quality by surveillance are not quality-assurance methods used in the health care field.

A student nurse is on a clinical rotation at a busy hospital unit. The RN in charge tells the student to change a surgical dressing on a patient while she takes care of other patients. The student has not changed dressings before and does not feel confident performing the procedure. What would be the student's best response? A. Tell the RN that he or she lacks the technical competencies to change the dressing independently. B. Assemble the equipment for the procedure and follow the steps in the procedure manual. C. Ask another student nurse to work collaboratively with him or her to change the dressing. D. Report the RN to his or her instructor for delegating a task that should not be assigned to student nurses.

a. Student nurses should notify their nursing instructor or nurse mentor if they believe they lack any competencies needed to safely implement the care plan. It is within the realm of a student nurse to change a dressing if he or she is technically prepared to do so.

When interacting with a patient, the nurse answers, "I am sure everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about." This is an example of what type of inappropriate communication technique? A. Cliché B. Giving advice C. Being judgmental D. Changing the subject

a. Telling a patient that everything is going to be all right is a cliché. This statement gives false assurance and gives the patient the impression that the nurse is not interested in the patient's condition.

A student nurse tells the instructor that a patient is fine and has "no complaints." What would be the instructor's best response? A. "You made an inference that she is fine because she has no complaints. How did you validate this?" B. "She probably just doesn't trust you enough to share what she is feeling. I'd work on developing a trusting relationship." C. "Sometimes everyone gets lucky. Why don't you try to help another patient?" D. "Maybe you should reassess the patient. She has to have a problem—why else would she be here?"

a. The instructor is most likely to challenge the inference that the patient is "fine" simply because she is telling you that she has no problems. It is appropriate for the instructor to ask how the student nurse validated this inference. Jumping to the conclusion that the patient does not trust the student nurse is premature and is an invalidated inference. Answer c is wrong because it accepts the invalidated inference. Answer d is wrong because it is possible that the condition is resolving.

A nurse is telling a new mother from Africa that she shouldn't carry her baby in a sling created from a large rectangular cloth. The African woman tells the nurse that everyone in Mozambique carries babies this way. The nurse believes that bassinets are safer for infants. This nurse is displaying what cultural bias? A. Cultural imposition B. Clustering C. Cultural competency D. Stereotyping

a. The nurse is trying to impose her belief that bassinets are preferable to baby slings on the African mother—in spite of the fact that African women have safely carried babies in these slings for years.

A public health nurse is leaving the home of a young mother who has a special needs baby. The neighbor states, "How is she doing since the baby's father is no help?" What is the nurse's BEST response to the neighbor? A. "New mothers need support." B. "The lack of a father is difficult." C. "How are you today?" D. "It is a very sad situation."

a. The nurse must maintain confidentiality when providing care. The statement "New mothers need support" is a general statement that all new parents need help. The statement is not judgmental of the family's roles.

A nurse caring for a patient who is hospitalized following a double mastectomy is preparing a discharge plan for the patient. Which action should be the focus of this termination phase of the helping relationship? A. Determining the progress made in achieving established goals B. Clarifying when the patient should take medications C. Reporting the progress made in teaching the staff D. Including all family members in the teaching session

a. The termination phase occurs when the conclusion of the initial agreement is acknowledged. Discharge planning coordinates with the termination phase of a helping relationship. The nurse should determine the progress made in achieving the goals related to the patient's care

The nurse practitioner sees patients in a community clinic that is located in a predominately white neighborhood. After performing assessments on the majority of the patients visiting the clinic, the nurse notes that many of the minority groups living within the neighborhood have lost the cultural characteristics that made them different. What is the term for this process? A. Cultural assimilation B. Cultural imposition C. Culture shock D. Ethnocentrism

a. When minority groups live within a dominant group, many members lose the cultural characteristics that once made them different in a process called assimilation. Cultural imposition occurs when one person believes that everyone should conform to his or her own belief system. Culture shock occurs when a person is placed in a different culture perceived as strange, and ethnocentrism is the belief that the ideas, beliefs, and practices of one's own cultural group are best, superior, or most preferred to those of other groups.

A nurse is prioritizing the following patient diagnoses according to Maslow's hierarchy of human needs: (1) Disturbed Body Image (2) Ineffective Airway Clearance (3) Spiritual Distress (4) Impaired Social Interaction Which answer choice below lists the problems in order of highest priority to lowest priority based on Maslow's model? A. 2, 4, 1, 3 B. 3, 1, 4, 2 C. 2, 4, 3, 1 D. 3, 2, 4, 1

a. 2, 4, 1, 3. Because basic needs must be met before a person can focus on higher ones, patient needs may be prioritized according to Maslow's hierarchy: (1) physiologic needs, (2) safety needs, (3) love and belonging needs, (4) self-esteem needs, and (5) self-actualization needs. #2 is an example of a physiologic need, #4 is an example of a love and belonging need, #1 is an example of a self-esteem need, and #3 is an example of a self-actualization need.

When may a health institution release a PHI for purposes other than treatment, payment, and routine health care operations, without the patient's signed authorization? Select all that apply. A. News media are preparing a report on the condition of a patient who is a public figure. B. Data are needed for the tracking and notification of disease outbreaks. C. Protected health information is needed by a coroner. D. Child abuse and neglect are suspected. E. Protected health information is needed to facilitate organ donation. F. The sister of a patient with Alzheimer's disease wants to help provide care.

b, c, d, e. According to the HIPAA, a health institution is not required to obtain written patient authorization to release PHI for tracking disease outbreaks, infection control, statistics related to dangerous problems with drugs or medical equipment, investigation and prosecution of a crime, identification of victims of crimes or disaster, reporting incidents of child abuse, neglect or domestic violence, medical records released according to a valid subpoena, PHI needed by coroners, medical examiners, and funeral directors, PHI provided to law enforcement in the case of a death from a potential crime, or facilitating organ donations. Under no circumstance can a nurse provide information to a news reporter without the patient's express authorization. An authorization form is still needed to provide PHI for a patient who has Alzheimer's disease.

A nurse is planning care for a patient who was admitted to the hospital for treatment of a drug overdose. Which nursing actions are related to the outcome identification and planning step of the nursing process? Select all that apply. A. The nurse formulates nursing diagnoses. B. The nurse identifies expected patient outcomes. C. The nurse selects evidence-based nursing interventions. D. The nurse explains the nursing care plan to the patient. E. The nurse assesses the patient's mental status. F. The nurse evaluates the patient's outcome achievement.

b, c, d. During the outcome identification and planning step of the nursing process, the nurse works in partnership with the patient and family to establish priorities, identify and write expected patient outcomes, select evidence-based nursing interventions, and communicate the nursing care plan. Although all these steps may overlap, formulating and validating nursing diagnoses occur most frequently during the diagnosing step of the nursing process. Assessing mental status is part of the assessment step, and evaluating patient outcomes occurs during the evaluation step of the nursing process.

An RN working on a busy hospital unit delegates patient care to UAPs. Which patient care could the nurse most likely delegate to a UAP safely? Select all that apply. A. Performing the initial patient assessments B. Making patient beds C. Giving patients bed baths D. Administering patient medications E. Ambulating patients F. Assisting patients with meals

b, c, e, f. Performing the initial patient assessment and administering medications are the responsibility of the RN. In most cases, patient hygiene, bed-making, ambulating patients, and helping to feed patients can be delegated to a UAP.

A nurse is using general systems theory to describe the role of nursing to provide health promotion and patient teaching. Which statements reflect key points of this theory? Select all that apply. A. A system is a set of individual elements that rarely interact with each other. B. The whole system is always greater than the sum of its parts. C. Boundaries separate systems from each other and their environments. D. A change in one subsystem will not affect other subsystems. E. To survive, open systems maintain balance through feedback. F. A closed system allows input from or output to the environment.

b, c, e. (According to general systems theory, a system is a set of interacting elements contributing to the overall goal of the system. The whole system is always greater than its parts. Boundaries separate systems from each other and their environments. Systems are hierarchical in nature and are composed of interrelated subsystems that work together in such a way that a change in one element could affect other subsystems, as well as the whole. To survive, open systems maintain balance through feedback. An open system allows energy, matter, and information to move freely between systems and boundaries, whereas a closed system does not allow input from or output to the environment.)

A nurse uses critical thinking skills to focus on the care plan of an older adult who has dementia and needs placement in a long-term care facility. Which statements describe characteristics of this type of critical thinking applied to clinical reasoning? Select all that apply. A. It functions independently of nursing standards, ethics, and state practice acts. B. It is based on the principles of the nursing process, problem solving, and the scientific method. C. It is driven by patient, family, and community needs as well as nurses' needs to give competent, efficient care. D. It is not designed to compensate for problems created by human nature, such as medication errors. E. It is constantly re-evaluating, self-correcting, and striving for improvement. F. It focuses on the big picture rather than identifying the key problems, issues, and risks involved with patient care.

b, c, e. Critical thinking applied to clinical reasoning and judgment in nursing practice is guided by standards, policies and procedures, and ethics codes. It is based on principles of nursing process, problem solving, and the scientific method. It carefully identifies the key problems, issues, and risks involved, and is driven by patient, family, and community needs, as well as nurses' needs to give competent, efficient care. It also calls for strategies that make the most of human potential and compensate for problems created by human nature. It is constantly re-evaluating, self-correcting, and striving to improve (Alfaro-LeFevre, 2014).

A nurse is caring for a patient who presents with labored respirations, productive cough, and fever. What would be appropriate nursing diagnoses for this patient? Select all that apply. A. Bronchial pneumonia B. Impaired gas exchange C. Ineffective airway clearance D. Potential complication: sepsis E. Infection related to pneumonia F. Risk for septic shock

b, c, f. Nursing diagnoses are actual or potential health problems that can be prevented or resolved by independent nursing interventions, such as impaired gas exchange, ineffective airway clearance, or risk for septic shock. Bronchial pneumonia and infection are medical diagnoses, and "potential complication: sepsis" is a collaborative problem.

A nurse on a busy surgical unit relies on informal planning to provide appropriate nursing responses to patients in a timely manner. What are examples of this type of planning? Select all that apply. A. A nurse sits down with a patient and prioritizes existing diagnoses. B. A nurse assesses a woman for postpartum depression during routine care. C. A nurse plans interventions for a patient who is diagnosed with epilepsy. D. A busy nurse takes time to speak to a patient who received bad news. E. A nurse reassesses a patient whose PRN pain medication is not working. F. A nurse coordinates the home care of a patient being discharged.

b, d, e. Informal planning is a link between identifying a patient's strength or problem and providing an appropriate nursing response. This occurs, for example, when a busy nurse first recognizes postpartum depression in a patient, takes time to assess a patient who received bad news about tests, or reassesses a patient for pain. Formal planning involves prioritizing diagnoses, formally planning interventions, and coordinating the home care of a patient being discharged.

A registered nurse is writing a diagnosis for a patient who is in traction because of multiple fractures from a motor vehicle accident. Which nursing actions are related to this step in the nursing process? Select all that apply. A. The nurse uses the nursing interview to collect patient data. B. The nurse analyzes data collected in the nursing assessment. C. The nurse develops a care plan for the patient. D. The nurse points out the patient's strengths. E. The nurse assesses the patient's mental status. F. The nurse identifies community resources to help his family cope.

b, d, f. The purposes of diagnosing are to identify how an individual, group, or community responds to actual or potential health and life processes; identify factors that contribute to or cause health problems (etiologies); and identify resources or strengths the individual, group, or community can draw on to prevent or resolve problems. In the diagnosing step of the nursing process, the nurse interprets and analyzes data gathered from the nursing assessment, identifies patient strengths, and identifies resources the patient can use to resolve problems. The nurse assesses and collects patient data in the assessment step and develops a care plan in the planning step of the nursing process

The nursing process ensures that nurses are person centered rather than task centered. Rather than simply approaching a patient to take vital signs, the nurse thinks, "How is Mrs. Barclay today? Are our nursing actions helping her to achieve her goals? How can we better help her?" This demonstrates which characteristic of the nursing process? A. Systematic B. Interpersonal C. Dynamic D. Universally applicable in nursing situations

b. Interpersonal. All of the other options are characteristics of the nursing process, but the conversation and thinking quoted best illustrates the interpersonal dimension of the nursing process.

A young Hispanic mother comes to the local clinic because her baby is sick. She speaks only Spanish and the nurse speaks only English. What is the appropriate nursing intervention? A. Use short words and talk more loudly. B. Ask an interpreter for help. C. Explain why care can't be provided. D. Provide instructions in writing.

b. The nurse should ask an interpreter for help. Many facilities have a qualified interpreter who understands the health care system and can reliably provide assistance. Using short words, talking loudly, and providing instructions in writing will not help the nurse communicate with this patient. Explaining why care can't be provided is not an acceptable choice because the nurse is required to provide care; also, since the patient doesn't speak English, she won't understand what the nurse is saying.

A nurse assesses a patient and formulates the following nursing diagnosis: Risk for Impaired Skin Integrity related to prescribed bed rest as evidenced by reddened areas of skin on the heels and back. Which phrase represents the etiology of this diagnostic statement? A. Risk for Impaired Skin Integrity B. Related to prescribed bed rest C. As evidenced by D. As evidenced by reddened areas of skin on the heels and back

b. "Related to prescribed bed rest" is the etiology of the statement. The etiology identifies the contributing or causative factors of the problem. "Risk for Impaired Skin Integrity" is the problem, and "as evidenced by reddened areas of skin on the heels and back" are the defining characteristics of the problem.

A nurse working in a community health clinic writes nursing diagnoses for patients and their families. Which nursing diagnoses are correctly written as three-part nursing diagnoses? 1. Disabled Family Coping related to lack of knowledge about home care of child on ventilator 2. Imbalanced Nutrition: Less Than Body Requirements related to inadequate caloric intake while striving to excel in gymnastics as evidenced by 20-lb weight loss since beginning the gymnastic program, and greatly less than ideal body weight when compared to standard height-weight charts 3. Need to learn how to care for child on ventilator at home related to unexpected discharge of daughter after 3-month hospital stay as evidenced by repeated comments "I cannot do this," "I know I'll harm her because I'm not a nurse," and "I can't do medical things" 4. Spiritual Distress related to inability to accept diagnosis of terminal illness as evidenced by multiple comments such as "How could God do this to me?" "I don't deserve this," "I don't understand. I've tried to live my life well," and "How could God make me suffer this way?" 5. Caregiver Role Strain related to failure of home health aides to appropriately diagnose needs of family caregivers and initiate a plan to facilitate coping as evidenced by caregiver's loss of weight and clinical depression A. (1) and (3) B. (2) and (4) C. (1), (2), and (3) D. (1), (2), (3), (4), and (5)

b. (1) is a two-part diagnosis, (3) is written in terms of needs and not an unhealthy response, and (5) is a legally inadvisable statement which blames home health aides for the patient's problem. Statements that may be interpreted as libel or that imply nursing negligence are legally hazardous to all the nurses caring for the patient. Assigning blame in the written record is problematic.

A nurse studies the culture of Native Alaskans to determine how their diet affects their overall state of health. Which method of qualitative research is the nurse using? A. Historical B. Ethnography C. Grounded theory D. Phenomenology

b. (Ethnographic research was developed by the discipline of anthropology and is used to examine issues of culture of interest to nursing. Historical research examines events of the past to increase understanding of the nursing profession today. The basis of grounded theory methodology is the discovery of how people describe their own reality and how their beliefs are related to their actions in a social scene. The purpose of phenomenology (both a philosophy and a research method) is to describe experiences as they are lived by the subjects being studied.)

A nurse makes a clinical judgment that an African American man in a stressful job is more vulnerable to developing hypertension than a White man in the same or a similar situation. The nurse has formulated what type of nursing diagnosis? A. Actual B. Risk C. Possible D. Wellness

b. A clinical judgment that an individual, family, or community is more vulnerable to develop the problem than others in the same or similar situation is a Risk nursing diagnosis.

A nurse is collecting more patient data to confirm a patient diagnosis of emphysema. This is an example of formulating what type of diagnosis? A. Actual B. Possible C. Risk D. Collaborative

b. An intervention for a possible diagnosis is to collect more patient data to confirm or rule out the problem. An intervention for an actual diagnosis is to reduce or eliminate contributing factors to the diagnosis. Interventions for a risk diagnosis focus on reducing or eliminating risk factors, and interventions for collaborative problems focus on monitoring for changes in status and managing these changes with nurse- and physician-prescribed interventions.

A nurse is about to perform pin site care for a patient who has a halo traction device installed. What is the FIRST nursing action that should be taken prior to performing this care? A. Administer pain medication. B. Reassess the patient. C. Prepare the equipment. D. Explain the procedure to the patient.

b. Before implementing any nursing action, the nurse should reassess the patient to determine whether the action is still needed. Then the nurse may collect the equipment, explain the procedure, and, if necessary, administer pain medications.

A nurse in the rehabilitation division states to the head nurse: "I need the day off and you didn't give it to me!" The head nurse replies, "Well, I wasn't aware you needed the day off, and it isn't possible since staffing is so inadequate." Instead of this exchange, what communication by the nurse would have been more effective? A. "I placed a request to have 8th of August off, but I'm working and I have a doctor's appointment." B. "I would like to discuss my schedule with you. I requested the 8th of August off for a doctor's appointment. Could I make an appointment?" C. "I will need to call in on the 8th of August because I have a doctor's appointment." D. "Since you didn't give me the 8th of August off, will I need to find someone to work for me?"

b. Effective communication by the sender involves the implementation of nonthreatening information by showing respect to the receiver. The nurse should identify the subject of the meeting and be sure it occurs at a mutually agreed upon time.

A nurse is performing an initial comprehensive assessment of a patient admitted to a long-term care facility from home. The nurse begins the assessment by asking the patient, "How would you describe your health status and well-being?" The nurse also asks the patient, "What do you do to keep yourself healthy?" Which model for organizing data is this nurse following? A. Maslow's human needs B. Gordon's functional health patterns C. Human response patterns D. Body system model

b. Gordon's functional health patterns begin with the patient's perception of health and well-being and progress to data about nutritional-metabolic patterns, elimination patterns, activity, sleep/rest, self-perception, role relationship, sexuality, coping, and values/beliefs. Maslow's model is based on the human needs hierarchy. Human responses include exchanging, communicating, relating, valuing, choosing, moving, perceiving, knowing, and feeling. The body system model is based on the functioning of the major body systems.

A student nurse attempts to perform a nursing history for the first time. The student nurse asks the instructor how anyone ever learns all the questions the nurse must ask to get good baseline data. What would be the instructor's best reply? A. "There's a lot to learn at first, but once it becomes part of you, you just keep asking the same questions over and over in each situation until you can do it in your sleep!" B. "You make the basic questions a part of you and then learn to modify them for each unique situation, asking yourself how much you need to know to plan good care." C. "No one ever really learns how to do this well because each history is different! I often feel like I'm starting afresh with each new patient." D. "Don't worry about learning all of the questions to ask. Every facility has its own assessment form you must use."

b. Once a nurse learns what constitutes the minimum data set, it can be adapted to any patient situation. It is not true that each assessment is the same even when using the same minimum data set, nor is it true that each assessment is uniquely different. Nurses committed to thoughtful, person-centered practice tailor their questions to the uniqueness of each patient and situation. Answer d is incorrect because relying solely on standard facility assessment tools does not allow for individualized patient care or critical thinking.

Nurses use the NIC Taxonomy structure as a resource when planning nursing care for patients. What information is found in this structure? A. Case studies illustrating a complete set of activities that a nurse performs to carry out nursing interventions B. Nursing interventions, each with a label, a definition, and a set of activities that a nurse performs to carry it out, with a short list of background readings C. A complete list of nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and related nursing activities for each nursing intervention D. A complete list of reimbursable charges for each nursing intervention

b. The NIC Taxonomy lists nursing interventions, each with a label, a definition, a set of activities that a nurse performs to carry it out, and a short list of background readings. It does not contain case studies, diagnoses, or charges.

A nursing student is preparing to administer morning care to a patient. What is the MOST important question that the nursing student should ask the patient about personal hygiene? A. "Would you prefer a bath or a shower?" B. "May I help you with a bed bath now or later this morning?" C. "I will be giving you your bath. Do you use soap or shower gel?" D. "I prefer a shower in the evening. When would you like your bath?"

b. The nurse should ask permission to assist the patient with a bath. This allows for consent to assist the patient with care that invades the patient's private zones.

A friend of a nurse calls and tells the nurse that his girlfriend's father was just admitted to the hospital as a patient, and he wants the nurse to provide information about the man's condition. The friend states, "Sue seems unusually worried about her dad, but she won't talk to me and I want to be able to help her." What is the best initial response the nurse should make? A. "You shouldn't be asking me to do this. I could be fined or even lose my job for disclosing this information." B. "Sorry, but I'm not able to give information about patients to the public—even when my best friend or a family member asks." C. "Because of HIPAA, you shouldn't be asking for this information unless the patient has authorized you to receive it! This could get you in trouble!" D. "Why do you think Sue isn't talking about her worries?"

b. The nurse should immediately clarify what he or she can and cannot do. Since the primary reason for refusing to help is linked to the responsibility to protect patient privacy and confidentiality, the nurse should not begin by mentioning the real penalties linked to abuses of privacy. Finally, it is appropriate to ask about Sue and her worries, but this should be done after the nurse clarifies what he or she is able to do.

A nurse is documenting the care given to a patient diagnosed with an osteosarcoma, whose right leg was amputated. The nurse accidentally documents that a dressing changed was performed on the left leg. What would be the best action of the nurse to correct this documentation? A. Erase or use correcting fluid to completely delete the error. B. Mark the entry "mistaken entry"; add correct information; date and initial. C. Use a permanent marker to block out the mistaken entry and rewrite it. D. Remove the page with the error and rewrite the data on that page correctly.

b. The nurse should not use dittos, erasures, or correcting fluids when correcting documentation; block out a mistake with a permanent marker; or remove a page with an error and rewrite the data on a new page. To correct an error after it has been entered, the nurse should mark the entry "mistaken entry," add the correct information, and date and initial the entry. If the nurse records information in the wrong chart, the nurse should write "mistaken entry—wrong chart" and sign off. The nurse should follow similar guidelines in electronic records.

A nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving fluids for dehydration. Which outcome for this patient is correctly written? A. Offer the patient 60-mL fluid every 2 hours while awake. B. During the next 24-hour period, the patient's fluid intake will total at least 2,000 mL. C. Teach the patient the importance of drinking enough fluids to prevent dehydration by 1/15/20. D. At the next visit on 12/23/20, the patient will know that he should drink at least 3 L of water per day.

b. The outcomes in (a) and (c) make the error of expressing the patient goal as a nursing intervention. Incorrect: "Offer the patient 60-mL fluid every 2 hours while awake." Correct: "The patient will drink 60-mL fluid every 2 hours while awake, beginning 1/3/20." The outcome in (d) makes the error of using verbs that are not observable and measurable. Verbs to be avoided when writing outcomes include "know," "understand," "learn," and "become aware."

A nurse is providing instruction to a patient regarding the procedure to change a colostomy bag. During the teaching session, the patient asks, "What type of foods should I avoid to prevent gas?" The patient's question allows for what type of communication on the nurse's part? A. A closed-ended answer B. Information clarification C. The nurse to give advice D. Assertive behavior

b. The patient's question allows the nurse to clarify information that is new to the patient or that requires further explanation.

After one nursing unit with an excellent safety record meets to review the findings of the audit, the nurse manager states, "We're doing well, but we can do better! Who's got an idea to foster increased patient well-being and satisfaction?" This is an example of leadership that values: A. Quality assurance B. Quality improvement C. Process evaluation D. Outcome evaluation

b. Unlike quality assurance, quality improvement is internally driven, focuses on patient care rather than organizational structure, focuses on processes rather than people, and has no end points. Its goal is improving quality rather than assuring quality. Process evaluation and outcome evaluation are types of quality-assurance programs.

After assessing a patient who is recovering from a stroke in a rehabilitation facility, a nurse interprets and analyzes the patient data. Which of the four basic conclusions has the nurse reached when identifying the need to collect more data to confirm a diagnosis of situational low self-esteem? A. No problem B. Possible problem C. Actual nursing diagnosis D. Clinical problem other than nursing diagnosis

b. When a possible problem exists, such as situational low self-esteem related to effects of stroke, the nurse must collect more data to confirm or disprove the suspected problem. The conclusion "no problem" means no nursing response is indicated. When an actual problem exists, the nurse begins planning, implementing, and evaluating care to prevent, reduce, or resolve the problem. A clinical problem other than nursing diagnosis requires that the nurse consult with the appropriate health care professional to work collaboratively on the problem.

A nurse is using the ESFT model to understand a patient's conception of a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Which interview question would be MOST appropriate to assess the E aspect of this model—Explanatory model of health and illness? A. How do you get your medications? B. How does having COPD affect your lifestyle? C. Are you concerned about the side effects of your medications? D. Can you describe how you will take your medications?

b. he ESFT model guides providers in understanding a patient's explanatory model (a patient's conception of her or his illness), social and environmental factors, and fears and concerns, and also guides providers in contracting for therapeutic approaches. Asking the questions: "How does having COPD affect your lifestyle?" explores the explanatory model, "How do you get your medications?" refers to the social and environmental factor, "Are you concerned about the side effects of your medications?" addresses fears and concerns, and "Can you describe how you will take your medications?" involves therapeutic contracting.

During an interaction with a patient diagnosed with epilepsy, a nurse notes that the patient is silent after communicating the nursing care plan. What would be appropriate nurse responses in this situation? Select all that apply. A. Fill the silence with lighter conversation directed at the patient. B. Use the time to perform the care that is needed uninterrupted. C. Discuss the silence with the patient to ascertain its meaning. D. Allow the patient time to think and explore inner thoughts. E. Determine if the patient's culture requires pauses between conversation. F. Arrange for a counselor to help the patient cope with emotional issues.

c, d, e. The nurse can use silence appropriately by taking the time to wait for the patient to initiate or to continue speaking. During periods of silence, the nurse should reflect on what has already been shared and observe the patient without having to concentrate simultaneously on the spoken word. In due time, the nurse might discuss the silence with the patient in order to understand its meaning. Also, the patient's culture may require longer pauses between verbal communication. Fear of silence sometimes leads to too much talking by the nurse, and excessive talking tends to place the focus on the nurse rather than on the patient. The nurse should not assume silence requires a consult with a counselor.

A nurse performs nurse-initiated nursing actions when caring for patients in a skilled nursing facility. Which are examples of these types of interventions? Select all that apply. A. A nurse administers 500 mg of ciprofloxacin to a patient with pneumonia. B. A nurse consults with a psychiatrist for a patient who abuses pain killers. C. A nurse checks the skin of bedridden patients for skin breakdown. D. A nurse orders a kosher meal for an orthodox Jewish patient. E. A nurse records the I&O of a patient as prescribed by his health care provider. F. A nurse prepares a patient for minor surgery according to facility protocol.

c, d, f. Nurse-initiated interventions, or independent nursing actions, involve carrying out nurse-prescribed interventions resulting from their assessment of patient needs written on the nursing care plan, as well as any other actions that nurses initiate without the direction or supervision of another health care professional. Protocols and standard orders empower the nurse to initiate actions that ordinarily require the order or supervision of a health care provider. Consulting with a psychiatrist is a collaborative intervention.

A nurse is documenting patient data in the medical record of a patient admitted to the hospital with appendicitis. The health care provider has ordered 10-mg morphine IV every 3 to 4 hours. Which examples of documentation of care for this patient follow recommended guidelines? Select all that apply. A. 6/12/20 0945 Morphine 10 mg administered IV. Patient's response to pain appears to be exaggerated. M. Patrick, RN B. 6/12/20 0945 Morphine 10 mg administered IV. Patient seems to be comfortable. M. Patrick, RN C. 6/12/20 0945 30 minutes following administration of morphine 10 mg IV, patient reports pain as 2 on a scale of 1 to 10. M. Patrick, RN D. 6/12/20 0945 Patient reports severe pain in right lower quadrant. M. Patrick, RN E. 6/12/20 0945 Morphine IV 10 mg will be administered to patient every 3 to 4 hours. M. Patrick, RN F. 6/12/20 0945 Patient states she does not want pain medication despite return of pain. After discussing situation, patient agrees to medication administration. M. Patrick, RN

c, d, f. The nurse should enter information in a complete, accurate, concise, current, and factual manner and indicate in each entry the date and both the time the entry was written and the time of pertinent observations and interventions. When charting, the nurse should avoid the use of stereotypes or derogatory terms as well as generalizations such as "patient's response to pain appears to be exaggerated" or "seems to be comfortable." The nurse should never document an intervention before carrying it out.

When conducting quantitative research, the researcher collects information to support a hypothesis. This information would be identified as: A. The subject B. Variables C. Data D. The instrument

c. (Data refer to information that the researcher collects from subjects in the study (expressed in numbers). A variable is something that varies and has different values that can be measured. Instruments are devices used to collect and record the data, such as rating scales, pencil-and-paper tests, and biologic measurements.)

A nurse is conducting quantitative research to examine the effects of following nursing protocols in the emergency department (ED) on patient outcomes. This is also known as what type of research? A. Descriptive B. Correlational C. Quasi-experimental D. Experimental

c. (Quasi-experimental research is often conducted in clinical settings to examine the effects of nursing interventions on patient outcomes. Descriptive research is often used to generate new knowledge about topics with little or no prior research. Correlational research examines the type and degree of relationships between two or more variables. Experimental research examines cause-and-effect relationships between variables under highly controlled conditions.)

A nurse is using a concept map care plan to devise interventions for a patient with sickle cell anemia. What is the BEST description of the "concepts" that are being diagrammed in this plan? A. Protocols for treating the patient problem B. Standardized treatment guidelines C. The nurse's ideas about the patient problem and treatment D. Clinical pathways for the treatment of sickle cell anemia

c. A concept map care plan is a diagram of patient problems and interventions. The nurse's ideas about patient problems and treatments are the "concepts" that are diagrammed. These maps are used to organize patient data, analyze relationships in the data, and enable the nurse to take a holistic view of the patient's situation. Answers (a) and (b) are incomplete because the concepts being diagrammed may include protocols and standardized treatment guidelines but the patient problems are also diagrammed concepts. Clinical pathways are tools used in case management to communicate the standardized, interdisciplinary care plan for patients.

A nurse writes the following outcome for a patient who is trying to stop smoking: "The patient values a healthy body sufficiently to stop smoking." This is an example of what type of outcome? A. Cognitive B. Psychomotor C. Affective D. Physical changes

c. Affective outcomes pertain to changes in patient values, beliefs, and attitudes. Cognitive outcomes involve increases in patient knowledge; psychomotor outcomes describe the patient's achievement of new skills; physical changes are actual bodily changes in the patient (e.g., weight loss, increased muscle tone).

A nurse is interviewing a newly admitted patient. Which question is considered culturally sensitive? A. "Do you think you will be able to eat the food we have here?" B. "Do you understand that we can't prepare special meals?" C. "What types of food do you eat for meals?" D. "Why can't you just eat our food while you are here?"

c. Asking patients what types of foods they eat for meals is culturally sensitive. The other questions are culturally insensitive.

A nursing student is nervous and concerned about working at a clinical facility. Which action would BEST decrease anxiety and ensure success in the student's provision of patient care? A. Determining the established goals of the institution B. Ensuring that verbal and nonverbal communication is congruent C. Engaging in self-talk to plan the day and decrease fear D. Speaking with fellow colleagues about how they feel

c. By engaging in self-talk, or intrapersonal communication, the nursing student can plan her day and enhance her clinical performance to decrease fear and anxiety.

The nurse practices using critical thinking indicators (CTIs) when caring for patients in the hospital setting. The best description of CTIs is: A. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the knowledge that promotes critical thinking in clinical practice B. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the knowledge and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical practice C. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical practice D. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, standards, and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical practice

c. Evidence-based descriptions of behaviors that demonstrate the knowledge, characteristics, and skills that promote critical thinking in clinical practice.

A nurse is teaching a novice nurse how to provide care for patients in a culturally diverse community health clinic. Although all these actions are recommended, which one is MOST basic to providing culturally competent care? A. Learning the predominant language of the community B. Obtaining significant information about the community C. Treating each patient at the clinic as an individual D. Recognizing the importance of the patient's family

c. In all aspects of nursing, it is important to treat each patient as an individual. This is also true in providing culturally competent care. This basic objective can be accomplished by learning the predominant language in the community, researching the patient's culture, and recognizing the influence of family on the patient's life.

The nurse is helping a patient turn in bed and notices the patient's heels are red. The nurse places the patient on precautions for skin breakdown. This is an example of what type of planning? A. Initial planning B. Standardized planning C. Ongoing planning D. Discharge planning

c. Ongoing planning is problem oriented and has as its purpose keeping the plan up to date as new actual or potential problems are identified. Initial planning addresses each problem listed in the prioritized nursing diagnoses and identifies appropriate patient goals and the related nursing care. Standardized care plans are prepared care plans that identify the nursing diagnoses, outcomes, and related nursing interventions common to a specific population or health problem. During discharge planning, the nurse uses teaching and counseling skills effectively to help the patient and family develop sufficient knowledge of the health problem and the therapeutic regimen to carry out necessary self-care behaviors competently at home.

A nurse is caring for a patient who has complications related to type 2 diabetes mellitus. The nurse researches new procedures to care for foot ulcers when developing a care plan for this patient. Which QSEN competency does this action represent? A. Patient-centered care B. Evidence-based practice C. Quality improvement D. Informatics

c. Quality improvement involves routinely updating nursing policies and procedures. Providing patient-centered care involves listening to the patient and demonstrating respect and compassion. Evidence-based practice is used when adhering to internal policies and standardized skills. The nurse is employing informatics by using information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, and support decision making.

A female patient who is receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer tells the nurse, "The treatment for this cancer is worse than the disease itself. I'm not going to come for my therapy anymore." The nurse responds by using critical thinking skills to address this patient problem. Which action is the first step the nurse would take in this process? A. The nurse judges whether the patient database is adequate to address the problem. B. The nurse considers whether or not to suggest a counseling session for the patient. C. The nurse reassesses the patient and decides how best to intervene in her care. D. The nurse identifies several options for intervening in the patient's care and critiques the merit of each option.

c. The first step when thinking critically about a situation is to identify the purpose or goal of your thinking. Reassessing the patient helps to discipline thinking by directing all thoughts toward the goal. Once the problem is addressed, it is important for the nurse to judge the adequacy of the knowledge, identify potential problems, use helpful resources, and critique the decision.

A nurse uses the classic elements of evaluation when caring for patients: (1) Interpreting and summarizing findings (2) Collecting data to determine whether evaluative criteria and standards are met (3) Documenting your judgment (4) Terminating, continuing, or modifying the plan (5) Identifying evaluative criteria and standards (what you are looking for when you evaluate—i.e., expected patient outcomes) Which item below places them in their correct sequence? A. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 B. 3, 2, 1, 4, 5 C. 5, 2, 1, 3, 4 D. 2, 3, 1, 4, 5

c. The five classic elements of evaluation in order are (1) identifying evaluative criteria and standards (what you are looking for when you evaluate—i.e., expected patient outcomes); (2) collecting data to determine whether these criteria and standards are met; (3) interpreting and summarizing findings; (4) documenting your judgment; and (5) terminating, continuing, or modifying the plan.

he nurse is surprised to detect an elevated temperature (102°F) in a patient scheduled for surgery. The patient has been afebrile and shows no other signs of being febrile. What is the priority nursing action? A. Inform the charge nurse. B. Inform the surgeon. C. Validate the finding. D. Document the finding.

c. The nurse should first validate the finding if it is unusual, deviates from normal, and is unsupported by other data. Should the initial recording prove to be in error, it would have been premature to notify the charge nurse or the surgeon. The nurse should be sure that all data recorded are accurate; thus, all data should be validated before documentation if there are any doubts about accuracy.

A new RN is being oriented to a nursing unit that is currently understaffed and is told that the UAPs have been trained to obtain the initial nursing assessment. What is the best response of the new RN? A. Allow the UAPs to do the admission assessment and report the findings to the RN. B. Do his or her own admission assessments but don't interfere with the practice if other professional RNs seem comfortable with the practice. C. Tell the charge nurse that he or she chooses not to delegate the admission assessment until further clarification is received from administration. D. Contact his or her labor representative to report this practice to the state board of nursing.

c. The nurse should not delegate this nursing admission assessment because only nurses can perform this intervention. The nurse should seek clarification for this policy from the nursing administration.

A nurse develops a detailed care plan for a 16-year-old patient who is a new single mother of a premature infant. The plan includes collaborative care measures and home health care visits. When presented with the plan, the patient states, "We will be fine on our own. I don't need any more care." What would be the nurse's best response? A. "You know your personal situation better than I do, so I will respect your wishes." B. "If you don't accept these services, your baby's health will suffer." C. "Let's take a look at the plan again and see if we can adjust it to fit your needs." D. "I'm going to assign your case to a social worker who can explain the services better."

c. When a patient does not follow the care plan despite your best efforts, it is time to reassess strategy. The first objective is to identify why the patient is not following the therapy. If the nurse determines, however, that the care plan is adequate, the nurse must identify and remedy the factors contributing to the patient's noncompliance.

A nurse is caring for patients of diverse cultures in a community health care facility. Which characteristics of cultural diversity that exist in the United States should the nurse consider when planning culturally competent care? Select all that apply. A. The United States has become less inclusive of same-sex couples. B. Cultural diversity is limited to people of varying cultures and races. C. Cultural diversity is separate and distinct from health and illness. D. People may be members of multiple cultural groups at one time. E. Culture guides what is acceptable behavior for people in a specific group. F. Cultural practices may evolve over time but mainly remain constant.

d, e, f. A person may be a member of multiple cultural, ethnic, and racial groups at one time. Culture guides what is acceptable behavior for people in a specific group. Cultural practices and beliefs may evolve over time, but they mainly remain constant as long as they satisfy a group's needs. The United States has become more (not less) inclusive of same-sex couples. The definition of cultural diversity includes, but is not limited to, people of varying cultures, racial and ethnic origin, religion, language, physical size, biological sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic status, occupational status, and geographic location. Cultural diversity, including culture, ethnicity, and race, is an integral component of both health and illness.

When a nurse enters the patient's room to begin a nursing history, the patient's wife is there. After introducing herself to the patient and his wife, what should the nurse do? A. Thank the wife for being present. B. Ask the wife if she wants to remain. C. Ask the wife to leave. D. Ask the patient if he would like the wife to stay.

d. The patient has the right to indicate whom he would like to be present for the nursing history and exam. The nurse should neither presume that he wants his wife there nor that he does not want her there. Similarly, the choice belongs to the patient, not the wife.

A nurse is formulating a clinical question in PICOT format. What does the letter P represent? A. Comparison to another similar protocol B. Clearly defined, focused literature review of procedures C. Specific identification of the purpose of the study D. Explicit descriptions of the population of interest

d. (The P in the PICOT format represents an explicit description of the patient population of interest. I represents the intervention, C represents the comparison, O stands for the outcome, and T stands for the time.)

A student nurse asks an experienced nurse why it is necessary to change the patient's bed every day. The nurse answers: "I guess we have just always done it that way." This answer is an example of what type of knowledge? A. Instinctive knowledge B. Scientific knowledge C. Authoritative knowledge D. Traditional knowledge

d. (Traditional knowledge is the part of nursing practice passed down from generation to generation, often without research data to support it. Scientific knowledge is that knowledge obtained through the scientific method (implying thorough research). Authoritative knowledge comes from an expert and is accepted as truth based on the person's perceived expertise. Instinct is not a source of knowledge.)

A nurse is discharging a patient from the hospital following a heart stent procedure. The patient asks to see and copy his medical record. What is the nurse's best response? A. "I'm sorry, but patients are not allowed to copy their medical records." B. "I can make a copy of your record for you right now." C. "You can read your record while you are still a patient, but copying records is not permitted according to HIPAA rules." D. "I will need to check with our records department to get you a copy."

d. According to HIPAA, patients have a right to see and copy their health record; update their health record; get a list of the disclosures a health care institution has made independent of disclosures made for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations; request a restriction on certain uses or disclosures; and choose how to receive health information. The nurse should be aware of facility policies regarding the patient's right to access and copy records.

A nurse is identifying outcomes for a patient who has a leg ulcer related to diabetes. What is an example of an affective outcome for this patient? A. Within 1 day after teaching, the patient will list three benefits of continuing to apply moist compresses to leg ulcer after discharge. B. By 6/12/20, the patient will correctly demonstrate application of wet-to-dry dressing on leg ulcer. C. By 6/19/20, the patient's ulcer will begin to show signs of healing (e.g., size shrinks from 3 to 2.5 in). D. By 6/12/20, the patient will verbalize valuing health sufficiently to practice new health behaviors to prevent recurrence of leg ulcer.

d. Affective outcomes describe changes in patient values, beliefs, and attitudes. Cognitive outcomes (a) describe increases in patient knowledge or intellectual behaviors; psychomotor outcomes (b) describe the patient's achievement of new skills; and (c) is an outcome describing a physical change in the patient.

A nurse is counseling a patient who refuses to look at or care for a new colostomy. The patient tells the nurse, "I don't care what I look like anymore, I don't even feel like washing my hair, let alone changing this bag." The nurse diagnoses Altered Health Maintenance. This is an example of what type of problem? A. Collaborative problem B. Interdisciplinary problem C. Medical problem D. Nursing problem

d. Altered Health Maintenance is a nursing problem, because the diagnosis describes a problem that can be treated by nurses within the scope of independent nursing practice. Collaborative and interdisciplinary problems require a teamwork approach with other health care professionals to resolve the problem. A medical problem is a traumatic or disease condition validated by medical diagnostic studies.

A student nurse is organizing clinical responsibilities for a patient who is diabetic and is being treated for foot ulcers. The patient tells the student, "I need to have my hair washed before I can do anything else today; I'm ashamed of the way I look." The patient's needs include diagnostic testing, dressing changes, meal planning and counseling, and assistance with hygiene. How would the nurse best prioritize this patient's care? A. Explain to the patient that there is not enough time to wash her hair today because of her busy schedule. B. Schedule the testing and meal planning first and complete hygiene as time permits. C. Perform the dressing changes first, schedule the testing and counseling, and complete hygiene last. D. Arrange to wash the patient's hair first, perform hygiene, and schedule diagnostic testing and counseling.

d. As long as time constraints permit, the most important priorities when scheduling nursing care are priorities identified by the patient as being most important. In this case, washing the patient's hair and assisting with hygiene puts the patient first and sets the tone for an effective nurse-patient partnership.

A nurse is writing nursing diagnoses for patients in a psychiatrist's office. Which nursing diagnoses are correctly written as two-part nursing diagnoses? 1. Ineffective Coping related to inability to maintain marriage 2. Defensive Coping related to loss of job and economic security 3. Altered Thought Processes related to panic state 4. Decisional Conflict related to placement of parent in a long-term care facility A. (1) and (2) B. (3) and (4) C. (1), (2), and (3) D. (1), (2), (3), and (4)

d. Each of the four diagnoses is a correctly written two-part diagnostic statement that includes the problem or diagnostic label and the etiology or cause.

4. A nurse notes that a shift report states that a patient has no special skin care needs. The nurse is surprised to observe reddened areas over bony prominences during the patient bath. What nursing action is appropriate? A. Correct the initial assessment form. B. Redo the initial assessment and document current findings. C. Conduct and document an emergency assessment. D. Perform and document a focused assessment of skin integrity.

d. Perform and document a focused assessment on skin integrity since this is a newly identified problem. The initial assessment stands as is and cannot be redone or corrected. This is not a life-threatening event; therefore, there is no need for an emergency assessment.

2. The nurse practitioner is performing a short assessment of a newborn who is displaying signs of jaundice. The nurse observes the infant's skin color and orders a test for bilirubin levels to report to the primary care provider. What type of assessment has this nurse performed? A. Comprehensive B. Initial C. Time-lapsed D. Quick priority

d. Quick priority assessments (QPAs) are short, focused, prioritized assessments nurses do to gain the most important information they need to have first. The comprehensive initial assessment is performed shortly after the patient is admitted to a health care facility or service. The time-lapsed assessment is scheduled to compare a patient's current status to baseline data obtained earlier.

A patient states, "I have been experiencing complications of diabetes." The nurse needs to direct the patient to gain more information. What is the MOST appropriate comment or question to elicit additional information? A. "Do you take two injections of insulin to decrease the complications?" B. "Most health care providers recommend diet and exercise to regulate blood sugar." C. "Most complications of diabetes are related to neuropathy." D. "What specific complications have you experienced?"

d. Requesting specific information regarding complications of diabetes will elicit specific information to guide the nurse in further interview questions and specific assessment techniques.

A student health nurse is counseling a college student who wants to lose 20 lb. The nurse develops a plan to increase the student's activity level and decrease her consumption of the wrong types of foods and excess calories. The nurse plans to evaluate the student's weight loss monthly. When the student arrives for her first "weigh-in," the nurse discovers that instead of the projected weight loss of 5 lb, the student has lost only 1 lb. Which is the BEST nursing response? A. Congratulate the student and continue the care plan. B. Terminate the care plan since it is not working. C. Try giving the student more time to reach the targeted outcome. D. Modify the care plan after discussing possible reasons for the student's partial success.

d. Since the student has only partially met her outcome, the nurse should first explore the factors making it difficult for her to reach her outcome and then modify the care plan. It would not be appropriate to continue the plan as it is since it is not working, and it is premature to terminate the care plan since the student has not met her targeted outcome. The student may need more than just additional time to reach her outcome.

A nurse states, "That patient is 78 years old—too old to learn how to change a dressing." What is the nurse demonstrating? A. Cultural imposition B. Clustering C. Cultural competency D. Stereotyping

d. Stereotyping is assuming that all members of a group are alike. This is not an example of cultural competence nor is the nurse imposing her culture on the patient. Clustering is not an applicable concept.

A nurse working in a long-term care facility bases patient care on five caring processes: knowing, being with, doing for, enabling, and maintaining belief. This approach to patient care best describes whose theory? A. Travelbee's B. Watson's C. Benner's D. Swanson's

d. Swanson (1991) identifies five caring processes and defines caring as "a nurturing way of relating to a valued other toward whom one feels a personal sense of commitment and responsibility." Travelbee (1971), an early nurse theorist, developed the Human-to-Human Relationship Model, and defined nursing as an interpersonal process whereby the professional nurse practitioner assists an individual, family, or community to prevent or cope with the experience of illness and suffering, and if necessary to find meaning in these experiences. Benner and Wrubel (1989) wrote that caring is a basic way of being in the world, and that caring is central to human expertise, curing, and healing. Watson's theory is based on the belief that all humans are to be valued, cared for, respected, nurtured, understood, and assisted.

During rounds, a charge nurse hears the patient care technician yelling loudly to a patient regarding a transfer from the bed to chair. Upon entering the room, what is the nurse's BEST response? A. "You need to speak to the patient quietly so you don't disturb the other patients." B. "Let me help you with your transfer technique." C. "When you are finished, be sure to apologize for your rough demeanor." D. "When your patient is safe and comfortable, meet me at the desk."

d. The charge nurse should direct the patient care technician to determine the patient's safety. Then the nurse should address any concerns regarding the patient care technician's communication techniques privately. The nurse should direct the patient care technician on aspects of therapeutic communication.

A nurse is writing an evaluative statement for a patient who is trying to lower cholesterol through diet and exercise. Which evaluative statement is written correctly? A. "Outcome not met." B. "1/21/20—Patient reports no change in diet." C. "Outcome not met. Patient reports no change in diet or activity level." D. "1/21/20—Outcome not met. Patient reports no change in diet or activity level."

d. The evaluative statement must contain a date; the words "outcome met," "outcome partially met," or "outcome not met"; and the patient data or behaviors that support this decision. The other answer choices are incomplete statements.

A nurse is collecting evaluative data for a patient who is finished receiving chemotherapy for an osteosarcoma. Which nursing action represents this step of the nursing process? A. The nurse collects data to identify health problems. B. The nurse collects data to identify patient strengths. C. The nurse collects data to justify terminating the care plan. D. The nurse collects data to measure outcome achievement.

d. The nurse collects evaluative data to measure outcome achievement. While this may justify terminating the care plan, that is not necessarily so. Data to assess health problems and patient variables are collected during the first step of the nursing process.

A nurse enters a patient's room and examines the patient's IV fluids and cardiac monitor. The patient states, "Well, I haven't seen you before. Who are you?" What is the nurse's BEST response? A. "I'm just the IV therapist checking your IV." B. "I've been transferred to this division and will be caring for you." C. "I'm sorry, my name is John Smith and I am your nurse." D. "My name is John Smith, I am your nurse and I'll be caring for you until 11 PM."

d. The nurse should identify himself, be sure the patient knows what will be happening, and the time period he will be with his patient.

A 3-year-old child is being admitted to a medical division for vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. During the admission interview, the nurse should implement which communication techniques to elicit the most information from the parents? A. The use of reflective questions B. The use of closed questions C. The use of assertive questions D. The use of clarifying questions

d. The use of the clarifying question or comment allows the nurse to gain an understanding of a patient's comment. When used properly, this technique can avert possible misconceptions that could lead to an inappropriate nursing diagnosis. The reflective question technique involves repeating what the person has said or describing the person's feelings. Open-ended questions encourage free verbalization and expression of what the parents believe to be true. Assertive behavior is the ability to stand up for yourself and others using open, honest, and direct communication.

A nurse enters the room of a patient with cancer. The patient is crying and states, "I feel so alone." Which response by the nurse is the most therapeutic action? A. The nurse stands at the patient's bedside and states, "I understand how you feel. My mother said the same thing when she was ill." B. The nurse places a hand on the patient's arm and states, "You feel so alone." C. The nurse stands in the patient's room and asks, "Why do you feel so alone? Your wife has been here every day." D. The nurse holds the patient's hand and asks, "What makes you feel so alone?"

d. The use of touch conveys acceptance, and the implementation of an open-ended question allows the patient time to verbalize freely