Fundamentals vitals, infection, pain Q&A Flashcards
(109 cards)
A nurse is observing an assistive personnel (AP) obtain vital signs from an adult client. Which of the following actions by the AP requires follow up by the nurse?
The AP informs the client when they are counting the respirations.
According to evidence-based practice, the AP should not inform the client they are going to count their respirations. This action can lead the client to alter their breathing, which can cause inaccurate results. When obtaining vital signs, the AP should count a client’s respirations when they are relaxed and at rest.
A nurse is preparing an in-service about vital signs for a group of newly hired assistive personnel. Which of the following information should the nurse include about measuring body temperature?
Oral temperature is easily accessible despite a client’s position.
One advantage of oral temperature is that it is easily accessible despite a client’s position. The oral temperature is an accurate measurement of body surface temperature but does not reflect core temperature.
A nurse is caring for a client who has an increase in cardiac afterload. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
Increase in blood pressure
The nurse should identify that a client who has an increase in afterload increases the risk for hypertension. Afterload is the resistance of the ventricle to pump the heart muscle and eject blood into the client’s bloodstream during systole.
A nurse is discussing the use of a client’s thigh for blood pressure measurements with an assistive personnel (AP). Which of the following information should the nurse include?
Use the thigh to obtain blood pressure when a client has severe edema in their arms.
The nurse should instruct the AP to obtain blood pressure measurements in the thigh when a client has severe edema in the arms or a shunt in place for dialysis.
A nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of interventions provided to a client who has an SaO2 below the expected reference range. Which of the following manifestations requires follow up by the nurse?
Dyspnea
A low SaO2 indicates the body’s tissues and cells are not receiving enough oxygen and can be related to several causes including hypothermia, decreased cardiac output, or lung disease. Clients who have an SaO2 below the expected reference range of 95% to 100% can exhibit shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, or dyspnea. This indicates the interventions provided by the nurse have not been successful and require further evaluation and notification of the provider.
A charge nurse is discussing a client’s respiratory data with a newly licensed nurse. Which of the following statements should the nurse include?
“Count the respiratory rate for 1 minute for clients who have a respiratory infection.”
The charge nurse should include that the nurse should count the respiratory rate for 1 min for clients who have a respiratory infection. For clients who are healthy, the nurse can count the rate for 15 seconds and multiply by 4 to determine the rate per minute.
A charge nurse is providing an in-service for a group of nurses about cardiac output. Which of the following statements should the nurse include?
“Cardiac output is the amount of blood flow through the heart in 1 minute.”
The nurse should identify that cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped by the ventricles through the heart within 1 min.
A nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of interventions used to address clients’ vital signs that were outside of the expected reference ranges. Which of the following findings indicates the intervention was effective?
A young adult who is experiencing an asthma attack and has a blood pressure of 116/72 mm Hg after using an inhaler
The nurse should identify that a blood pressure of 116/72 mm Hg is within the expected reference range for a young adult. The expected systolic blood pressure should be less than 120 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure should be less than 80 mm Hg. Therefore, the intervention of using an inhaler was effective.
A nurse is assessing a client who has orthostatic hypotension. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Encourage the client to change positions slowly.
The nurse should identify that orthostatic hypotension is a drop in systolic pressure of at least 20 mm Hg, or a drop in diastolic pressure of at least 10 mm Hg, within 1 min of moving to a sitting or standing position after lying down.
A nurse is caring for a client who is experiencing tachypnea due to an exacerbation of asthma. Which of the following medications should the nurse anticipate administering?
A bronchodilator
Tachypnea occurs during an asthma attack due to a constriction in the airways, leading to a decrease in oxygenation. The respiratory rate increases to compensate for the decrease in oxygen to the tissues. A bronchodilator decreases inflammation in the lungs, which opens the airways. This allows for improved oxygenation to the tissues, thereby decreasing the respiratory rate
A nurse is preparing an in-service for a group of newly hired assistive personnel (AP) about body temperature. Which of the following information should the nurse include?
A temporal probe thermometer uses infrared scanning to determine a client’s temperature.
The nurse should instruct the AP that a temporal artery thermometer uses infrared scanning to determine the body’s core temperature. The thermometer probe is placed in the center of the forehead, swiped laterally toward the hairline, then touched to the skin behind the client’s earlobe.
A nurse is preparing an in-service about factors affecting respiratory rate for a group of assistive personnel. Which of the following information should the nurse include?
Fever can increase a client’s respiratory rate.
The nurse should include that an increased body temperature can cause an increase in a client’s respiratory rate. Other factors that can increase respiratory rate include physical exertion, chronic lung disease, and anxiety.
A nurse is discussing oxygen saturation with a client. Which of the following information should the nurse include?
Oxygen saturation reflects the amount of oxygen being delivered to body tissues.
Oxygen saturation is an indication of the amount of oxygen being transported to body tissues and is a direct reflection of a client’s respiratory status.
A nurse is caring for a client who has an increase in cardiac output. Which of the following findings should the nurse expect?
Increase in blood pressure
The nurse should identify that an increase in cardiac output causes an increase in the client’s blood pressure. Cardiac output is the amount of blood pumped by the ventricles in 1 min.
FLAG
A nurse is teaching a group of assistive personnel (AP) about techniques used to obtain BP. For which of the following clients should the nurse to instruct the AP to obtain an electronic BP measurement?
A client who has stabilized BP
measurements
Blood pressure can be obtained electronically using a machine that has a blood pressure cuff attached. The machine automatically inflates the bladder of the cuff and displays the blood pressure on a screen. This method is reserved for clients in stable condition with BP measurements within the expected reference range. Manual BP measurements are more accurate than those obtained via an electronic device, so if an abnormal reading is obtained electronically, a manual reading should be obtained.
A nurse is reviewing the vital signs of four clients. The nurse should identify that which of the following clients has a vital sign outside of the expected reference range?
A 23-year-old client who runs marathons and has a blood pressure of 82/54 mm Hg
The nurse should identify that a blood pressure of 82/54 mm Hg indicates hypotension, which is an unexpected finding for a 23-year-old client. With hypotension the client will have systolic BP less than 90 mm Hg or a diastolic BP less than 60 mm Hg. The nurse should expect the client to exhibit bradycardia, or a slow heart rate, due to their high level of physical fitness. However, the nurse should gather more client data for manifestations of hypotension and report the findings to the provider.
A nurse is evaluating the effectiveness of interventions used for clients who had alterations in vital signs. Which of the following clients’ vital signs indicate that interventions were effective? (Select all that apply.)
A preschooler who was exhibiting tachypnea 2 hr postoperative and now has a respiratory rate of 24/min
An older adult client who had bradycardia while sleeping and now has an apical pulse rate of 66/min
A young adult who had hypotension after receiving an opioid analgesic and now has a blood pressure of 98/68 mm Hg
A preschooler who was exhibiting tachypnea 2 hr postoperative and now has a respiratory rate of 24/min is correct. The nurse should identify that a respiratory rate of 24/min for a preschooler is within the expected reference range of 20 to 25/min. This finding indicates that interventions were effective.
An older adult client who had bradycardia while sleeping and now has an apical pulse rate of 66/min is correct. The nurse should identify that an apical pulse rate of 66/min is within the expected reference range of 60 to 100/min for an older adult client. This finding indicates that interventions were effective.
A young adult who had hypotension after receiving an opioid analgesic and now has a blood pressure of 98/68 mm Hg is correct. The nurse should identify that hypotension is a blood pressure of less than 90/60 mm Hg. Therefore, a blood pressure of 98/68 mm Hg indicates that the client’s blood pressure is no longer hypotensive, so interventions were effective.
A toddler who was febrile 2 hr ago due to a viral infection and has a temporal temperature of 38.2° C (100.8° F) is incorrect. The nurse should identify that a temperature of 38.2° C (100.8° F) is above the expected reference range. This finding indicates that interventions were not effective.
An adult client who had tachycardia 1 hr ago due to postoperative pain and has an apical pulse rate of 106/min is incorrect. The nurse should identify that an apical pulse rate of 106/min is above the expected reference range of 60 to 100/min for an adult client. This finding indicates interventions were not effective.
FLAG
A nurse is caring for a client who has a heart rate of 120/min. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
Instruct the client to bear down like they are having a bowel movement.
The Valsalva maneuver can be used to regulate heart rate. To elicit this, the nurse should instruct the client to “bear down” like they are having a bowel movement. This action produces a vasovagal response in the client’s body which lowers the client’s heart rate.
A charge nurse is reviewing documentation of vital signs by a newly licensed nurse. Which of the following pieces of documentation is correct?
SaO2 97% right index finger, room air
The charge nurse should identify that this documentation is thorough and complete and does not require any additional information. The information provided includes the measurement, the site used, and that the client is not on oxygen.
A nurse is planning care for a group of clients. For which of the following clients should the nurse direct an assistive personnel (AP) to obtain a rectal temperature?
A client who is diaphoretic and frequently chewing ice to relieve dry mouth
Oral temperatures should not be obtained in clients who have consumed food or liquids or smoked tobacco products within the previous 30 min. The client’s diaphoresis will make it difficult to obtain an accurate temperature via the tympanic membrane or temporal artery. Therefore, the nurse should direct the AP to obtain this client’s temperature rectally.
A nurse is observing an assistive personnel (AP) who is obtaining a blood pressure reading from a client. Which of the following actions by the AP requires follow up by the nurse?
The AP loosens the valve to reduce pressure within the bladder cuff at a rate of 5 mm Hg per second.
Releasing the pressure at a rate of 5 mm Hg per second is too fast. The recommended rate is 2 mm Hg per second. Releasing the valve too quickly could prevent the AP from noting the correct reading and too slowly can cause additional discomfort to the client.
A nurse is providing teaching about thermoregulation to a group of newly licensed nurses. Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the teaching?
“The body lowers body temperature through sweating.”
Sweating, a natural body reaction to increased temperature, helps the body to maintain a consistent temperature by cooling the body through evaporation of the sweat from the skin, thereby lowering the body’s temperature.
A nurse on a pediatric unit is reviewing the medical records for a group of clients. Which of the following clients has a vital sign outside the expected reference range and requires intervention?
A 3-year-old preschooler who has an apical pulse rate of 144/min
The nurse should identify that an apical pulse rate of 144/min is above the expected reference range of 75 to 129/min for a preschooler. This finding requires intervention by the nurse.
A charge nurse is discussing mechanisms of loss of body heat with a newly licensed nurse. Which of the following statements should the nurse include?
“Radiation is the loss of body heat when a client is in close proximity to a cooler surface.”
The nurse should include that radiation is the loss of body heat that occurs when a client is in close proximity to a cooler surface. For example, radiative heat loss can occur when a client sits near a window when it is cold outside.