Medical Surgical Nursing NCLEX RN Questions
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Question 1 of 5.
A client with diabetes mellitus comes to the clinic for a regular 3-month follow-up appointment. The nurse notes several small bandages covering cuts on the client's hands. The client says, 'I'm so clumsy. I'm always cutting my finger cooking or burning myself on the iron.' Which of the following responses by the nurse would be most appropriate?
A. Soak small wounds in isopropyl alcohol.'
B. Keep all cuts clean and covered.'
C. Why don't you have your children do the cooking and ironing?'
D. You really should be fine as long as you take your daily medication.'
Explanation: Keeping cuts clean and covered prevents infection, a significant risk in diabetes due to poor wound healing.
Question 2 of 5.
A 60-year-old male client comes into the emergency department with a complaint of crushing substernal chest pain that radiates to his shoulder and left arm. The admitting diagnosis is acute myocardial infarction (MI). Immediate admission orders include oxygen by nasal cannula at 4 L/minute, blood work, a chest radiograph, a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), and 2 mg of morphine sulfate given I.V. The nurse should first:
A. Administer the morphine.
B. Obtain a 12-lead ECG.
C. Obtain the blood work.
D. Order the chest radiograph.
Explanation: Administering morphine first relieves pain, reducing myocardial oxygen demand and stabilizing the client. ECG and blood work follow to confirm diagnosis, but pain management is the priority.
Question 3 of 5.
If a client displays risk factors for coronary artery disease, such as smoking cigarettes, eating a diet high in saturated fat, or leading a sedentary lifestyle, techniques of behavior modification may be used to help the client change the behavior. The nurse can best reinforce new adaptive behaviors by:
A. Explaining how the old behavior leads to poor health.
B. Withholding praise until the new behavior is well established.
C. Rewarding the client whenever the acceptable behavior is performed.
D. Instilling mild fear into the client to extinguish the behavior.
Explanation: Positive reinforcement, such as rewarding adaptive behaviors, encourages the client to continue healthy habits. Fear or delayed praise is less effective for behavior modification.
Question 4 of 5.
Which of the following is not a risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis?
A. A family history of early heart attack.
B. Late onset of puberty.
C. Total blood cholesterol level greater than 220 mg/dL.
D. Elevated fasting blood glucose concentration.
Explanation: Late onset of puberty is not a risk factor for atherosclerosis. Family history, high cholesterol, and elevated glucose are established risk factors.
Question 5 of 5.
The nurse's discharge teaching plan for the client with heart failure should stress the importance of which of the following?
A. Maintaining a high-fiber diet.
B. Walking 2 miles every day.
C. Obtaining daily weights at the same time each day.
D. Remaining sedentary for most of the day.
Explanation: Daily weights at the same time detect fluid retention early, a key strategy to prevent heart failure exacerbations.