An older patient who has been experiencing a fever, nausea, and vomiting has a urine specific gravity below normal. The patient denies being thirsty. What should the nurse suspect the patient is experiencing?
1. Dehydration
2. Fluid overload
3. Congestive heart failure
4. Normal changes of aging
1
Rationale: The elderly are less able to concentrate their urine, making them susceptible to dehydration. In addition, there is a deficit of the thirst response. The patient's symptoms of nausea and vomiting suggest decreased intake and increased output through vomiting, placing the patient at risk for dehydration.
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If a client has a positive skin test for tuberculosis (TB), the nurse knows this result indicates that the client:
a. needs further testing b. has been infected with and has formed antibodies against tuberculosis c. has been infected with tuberculosis and requires immediate treatment d. has only been exposed to tuberculosis
The nurse is assisting the physician with obtaining a sample to determine the status of blood cell formation. What type of procedure will the nurse have prepared the client for?
A) A bone marrow aspiration B) A Schilling test C) A thoracentesis D) A urine sample
The physiology instructor is discussing the GI system with the pre-nursing class. What should the instructor tell the students is the function of the GI tract?
A) The breakdown of food particles into the atomic form for digestion B) The elimination of digested unabsorbed vegetable matter and other waste products C) The absorption into the bloodstream of small nutrient molecules produced by digestion D) The reabsorption of medication not needed by the body
Workmen preparing to paint have set up equipment near the emergency department entrance and have taken down all the signage. What is the primary reason the nurse manager is concerned when this is mentioned in the shift report?
1. Inappropriate signage can result in loss of federal funding. 2. Patients and families may get lost if signs are not present. 3. Fumes from paint can impair the breathing ability of patients with lung disorders. 4. The presence of painting equipment is a fall hazard for patients and nurses.