A patient being evaluated for cardiac pathology asks the nurse why sodium, calcium, and potassium are so important in the diet. What is the nurse's best response?
1. "The action potentials of the heart muscle cells are dependent on the diffusion of sodium, potassium, and calcium across the cell membrane."
2. "Because you are on potassium supplements, it is important to monitor electrolytes."
3. "Heart rate is affected by the oxygen levels in your body, which involves the attachment of oxygen molecules to these electrolytes."
4. "It is the pacemaker of your heart that is responsible for the heartbeat."
Correct Answer: 1
Action potentials of the cardiac muscle involve shifts in potassium, calcium, and sodium across the cell membrane. There is not enough data to justify a response about potassium supplements. Oxygen molecules attach to the hemoglobin molecule, not electrolytes. The pacemaker is responsible for the heartbeat, but this response does not address the patient's question.
You might also like to view...
A nurse is encouraged to use a Boolean operator to more efficiently perform an electronic search of the literature. The nurse should understand that a Boolean operator is what?
a. A specialized reference librarian who can assist in searches of electronic medical and nursing databases b. A software program that enables combinations of permissions and restrictions for a database search c. A definition of the relationship between words or groups of words in a literature search such as "and" d. A clinical query that can be performed to focus on a particular clinical issue or practice question
When the mother's membranes rupture during active labor, the fetal heart rate should be observed for the occurrence of which periodic pattern?
a. Early decelerations b. Variable decelerations c. Nonperiodic accelerations d. Increase in baseline variability
A nurse injecting a client who has HIV/AIDS accidentally sticks herself with the needle. What is the protocol when this type of incident occurs?
A) The employer must be notified in writing within 3 days. B) An incident report must be filed immediately. C) The nurse must receive treatment for the infection within 1 week. D) Blood tests for the nurse should be repeated in 3 months.
A nurse should anticipate that which symptoms of Alzheimer's disease will become apparent as the disease progresses from moderate to severe to late stage? Select all that apply
a. Agraphia b. Hyperorality c. Fine motor tremors d. Hypermetamorphosis e. Improvement of memory