Med Surg RN NCLEX Questions
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Question 1 of 5.
A client with iron deficiency anemia is refusing to take the prescribed oral iron medication because the medication is causing nausea. The nurse should do which of the following? Select all that apply.
A. Suggest that the client use ginger when taking the medication.
B. Ask the client what she thinks is causing the nausea.
C. Tell the client to use stool softeners to minimize constipation.
D. Offer to administer the medication by an intramuscular injection.
E. Suggest that the client take the iron with orange juice.
Explanation: Nausea and vomiting are common adverse effects of oral iron preparations. The nurse should first ask the client why she does not want to take the oral medication, and then suggest ways to decrease the nausea and vomiting. Ginger may help minimize the nausea and the client can try this remedy and evaluate its effectiveness. Iron should be taken on an empty stomach but can be taken with orange juice to enhance absorption and potentially reduce nausea. The client can evaluate if this helps the nausea. Stool softeners are not typically recommended for iron deficiency anemia, as constipation is better managed with a high-fiber diet. Intramuscular iron is a last resort and not appropriate unless oral administration is ineffective.
Question 2 of 5.
A client receives fibrinolytic therapy upon admission following a myocardial infarction. He is now receiving an I.V. infusion of heparin sodium at 1,200 units/hour. The dilution is 25,000 units/500 mL. How many milliliters per hour will this client receive?
Answer: 24 mL/hour
Explanation: To calculate: (1,200 units/hour ÷ 25,000 units) × 500 mL = 24 mL/hour. This is a calculation question, not multiple-choice, so no choices or correct answer letter is provided.
Question 3 of 5.
Which of the following is an expected outcome when a client is receiving an I.V. administration of furosemide?
A. Increased blood pressure.
B. Increased urine output.
C. Decreased pain.
D. Decreased premature ventricular contractions.
Explanation: Furosemide, a loop diuretic, promotes diuresis, increasing urine output to reduce fluid overload in conditions like heart failure or post-MI.
Question 4 of 5.
During the previous few months, a 56-year-old woman felt brief twinges of chest pain while working in her garden and has had frequent episodes of indigestion. She comes to the hospital after experiencing severe anterior chest pain while raking leaves. Her evaluation confirms a diagnosis of stable angina pectoris. After stabilization and treatment, the client is discharged from the hospital. At her follow-up appointment, she is discouraged because she is experiencing pain with increasing frequency. She states that she visits an invalid friend twice a week and now cannot walk up the second flight of steps to the friend's apartment without pain. Which of the following measures that the nurse could suggest would most likely help the client prevent this problem?
A. Visit her friend early in the day.
B. Rest for at least an hour before climbing the stairs.
C. Take a nitroglycerin tablet before climbing the stairs.
D. Lie down once she reaches the friend's apartment.
Explanation: Taking sublingual nitroglycerin before exertion (e.g., climbing stairs) prevents angina by dilating coronary arteries, increasing myocardial oxygen supply.
Question 5 of 5.
The nurse should be especially alert for signs and symptoms of digoxin toxicity if serum levels indicate that the client has a:
A. Low sodium level.
B. High glucose level.
C. High calcium level.
D. Low potassium level.
Explanation: Low potassium (hypokalemia) increases the risk of digoxin toxicity by enhancing digoxin's binding to cardiac cells, leading to arrhythmias.