Practice Questions: Hypertension

diagnosis of a possible cause, treatment, and ongoing monitoring will be needed

a 56-year-old patient who has no previous history of hypertension or other health problems suddenly develops a blood pressure of 198/110 mmHg. after reconfirming the BP, it is appropriate for the nurse to tell the patient that: a. a BP recheck should be scheduled in a few weeks b. dietary sodium and fat content should be decreased c. there is an immediate danger of stroke and hospitalization will be required d. diagnosis of a possible cause, treatment, and ongoing monitoring will be needed

change the position slowly to help prevent dizziness and falls

a patient has just been diagnosed with hypertension and has been started on captopril. which information is important to include when teaching the patient about this medication? a. check blood pressure in both arms before taking this medication b. increase fluid intake if dryness of the mouth is a problem c. include high-potassium foods such as bananas in the diet d. change the position slowly to help prevent dizziness and falls

have you been consistently taking your medications?

a patient with a history of hypertension treated with a diuretic and an ACE inhibitor arrives in the emergency department complaining of a severe headache and nausea and has a BP of 238/118. Which question should the nurse ask first? a. did you take any acetaminophen today? b. have you been consistently taking your medications? c. have there been any recent stressful events in your life? d. have you recently taken any antihistamine medications?

question the patient about whether the medication is actually being taken

a patient with hypertension who just started taking atenolol returns to the health clinic after 2 weeks for a follow-up visit. the blood pressure is unchanged from the previous visit. which action should the nurse take first? a. inform the patient about the reasons for a possible change in drug dosage b. question the patient about whether the medication is actually being taken c. inform the patient that multiple drugs are often needed to treat hypertension d. question the patient regarding any lifestyle changes made to help control BP

the patient has a glass of low-fat milk with each meal

after the nurse teaches the patient with stage I hypertension about diet modifications that should be implemented, which diet choice indicates that the teaching has been effective? a. the patient avoids eating nuts or nut butters b. the patient restricts intake of chicken and fish c. the patient has two cups of coffee in the morning d. the patient has a glass of low-fat milk with each meal

tell the patient how to self-monitor and record BP's at home

an older patient has been diagnosed with possible white coat hypertension. which action will the nurse plan to take next? a. schedule the patient for regular blood pressure checks in the clinic b. instruct the patient about the need to decrease stress levels c. tell the patient how to self-monitor and record BP's at home d. inform the patient that ambulatory blood pressure monitoring will be needed

the patient has developed wheezes throughout the lung fields

during change of shift report, the nurse obtains the following information about a hypertensive patient who received the first dose of nadolol during the previous shift. which information indicates that the patient needs immediate intervention? a. the patient has recent blood pressure readings is 158/91 mmHg b. the patients pulse has dropped from 68-57 bpm c. the patient has developed wheezes throughout the lung fields d. the patient complains that the fingers and toes feel quite cold

asthma

propanolol is prescribed for a patient diagnosed with hypertension. the nurse should consult with the healthcare provider before giving this medication when the patient reveals a history of: a. asthma b. daily alcohol use c. peptic ulcer disease d. myocardial infarction

increase the dietary intake of high-potassium foods

the charge nurse observes a new registered nurse doing discharge teaching for a patient with hypertension who has a new prescription for enalapril. the charge nruse will need to intervene if the new RN tells the patient to: a. increase the dietary intake of high-potassium foods b. make an appointment with the dietitian for teaching c. check the blood pressure with a home BP monitor at least once a day d. move slowly when moving from lying to sitting to standing

a little swelling around my lips and face is okay

the nurse has just finished teaching a hypertensive patient about the newly prescribed ramipril. which patient statement indicates that more teaching is needed? a. a little swelling around my lips and face is okay b. the medication may not work as well if i take any aspirin c. the doctor may order a blood potassium level occasionally d. i will call the doctor if I notice that I have a frequent cough

the patient cannot move the left arm and leg when asked to do so

the nurse is assessing a patient who has been admitted to the ICU with a hypertensive emergency. which finding is most important to report the healthcare provider? a. urine output over 8 hours is 250 mL less than the fluid intake b. the patient cannot move the left arm and leg when asked to do so c. tremors are noted in the fingers when the patient extends the arms d. the patient complains of a headache with pain at level 8/10

serum creatinine of 2.8 mg/dL

the nurse is reviewing the laboratory results for a patient who has recently been diagnosed with hypertension. Which result is most important to communicate to the healthcare provider? a. serum creatinine of 2.8 mg/dL b. serum potassium of 4.5 c. serum hemoglobin of 14.7 d. blood glucose of 96

no regular aerobic exercise

the nurse obtains the following information from a patient newly diagnosed with prehypertension. which finding is most important to address with the patient? a. low dietary fiber intake b. no regular aerobic exercise c. weight 5 pounds above ideal weight d. drinks a beer with dinner on most nights

43-year-old with a BP of 160/92 who is complaining of chest pain

the nurse on the intermediate care unit received change-of-shift report on four patients with hypertension. Which patient should the nurse assess first? a. 43-year-old with a BP of 160/92 who is complaining of chest pain b. 52-year-old with a BP of 212/90 who has intermittent claudication c. 50-year-old with a BP of 190/104 who has a creatinine of 1.7 mg/dL d. 48-year-old with a BP of 172/98 whose urine shows microalbuminemia

set up the automatic blood pressure machine to take BP every 15 minutes

the registered nurse is caring for a patient with a hypertensive crisis who is receiving sodium nitroprusside. which nursing action can the nurse delegate to a LPN? a. titrate nitrprusside to decrease mean arterial pressure to 115 mmHg b. evaluate the effectiveness of nitroprusside therapy on blood pressure c. set up the automatic blood pressure machine to take BP every 15 minutes d. assess the patients environment for adverse stimuli that might increase BP

ask the patient to request assistance when getting out of bed

which action should the nurse take when administering the initial dose of oral labetalol to the patient with hypertension? a. encourage the use of hard candy to prevent dry mouth b. instruct the patient to ask for help if heart palpitations occur c. ask the patient to request assistance when getting out of bed d. teach the patient that headaches may occur with this medication

use an automated noninvasive BP machine to obtain frequent blood pressure measurements

which action will be included in the plan of care when the nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving nicardipine to treat a hypertensive emergency? a. keep the patient NPO to prevent aspiration caused by nausea and possible vomiting b. organize nursing activities so that the patient has undisturbed sleep for 6-8 hours at night c. assist the patient up in the chair for meals to avoid complications associated with immobility d. use an automated noninvasive BP machine to obtain frequent blood pressure measurements

have the patient sit in a chair with the feet flat on the floor

which action will the nruse in the hypertension clinic take in order to obtain an accurate baseline blood pressure for a new patient? a. deflate the BP cuff at a rate of 5-10 mmHg per second b. have the patient sit in a chair with the feet flat on the floor c. assist the patient to the supine position for BP measurements d. obtain two BP readings in the dominant arm and average the results

blood potassium level of 3.0 mEq/L

which assessment finding for a patient who is receiving IV furosemide to treat stage 2 hypertension is most important to report to the healthcare provider? a. blood glucose level of 175 mg/dL b. blood potassium level of 3.0 c. most recent blood pressure reading of 168/94 d. orthostatic systolic BP decrease of 12 mmHg

128/76 mmHg

which blood pressure finding by the nurse indicates that no changes in therapy are needed for a patient with stage 1 hypertension who has a history of diabetes mellitus? a. 102/60 mmHg b. 128/76 mmHg c. 139/90 mmHg d. 136/82 mmHg

hypertension is usually asymptomatic until target organ damage occurs

which information should the nurse include when teaching a patient with newly diagnosed hypertension? a. increasing physical activity will control blood pressure for most patients b. most patients are able to control BP through dietary changes c. annual BP checks are needed to monitor treatment effectiveness d. hypertension is usually asymptomatic until target organ damage occurs

collect a detailed diet history

which nursing action should the nurse take first in order to assist a patient with a newly diagnosed stage 1 hypertension in making needed dietary changes? a. collect a detailed diet history b. provide a list of low-sodium foods c. help the patient make an appointment with a dietitian d. teach the patient about foods that are high in potassium