A nurse is performing a mental status examination and asks an adult patient what the statement "Don't cry over spilled milk" means. Which area is the nurse assessing?
a. Long-term memory
b. Abstract thinking
c. Recent memory
d. Knowledge
ANS: B
For an individual to explain common phrases such as "A stitch in time saves nine" or "Don't cry over spilled milk" requires a higher level of intellectual function or abstract thinking. Knowledge-based assessment is factual. Assess knowledge by asking how much the patient knows about the illness or the reason for seeking health care. To assess past (long-term) memory, ask the patient to recall the maiden name of the patient's mother, a birthday, or a special date in history. It is best to ask open-ended questions rather than simple yes/no questions. Patients demonstrate immediate recall (recent memory) by repeating a series of numbers in the order in which they are presented or in reverse order.
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An ICU nurse who left the organization two years ago has applied for a night shift position on the ICU unit. The manager pulls the employee?s personnel file, which contains numerous written and verbal warnings
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The population health nurse is identifying determinants of health to address the development of cancer in a small rural neighborhood. Which determinants should the nurse identify? (Select all that apply.)
1. Availability of health facilities. 2. Mean age of the male population. 3. Prevailing diet high in unprocessed foods and low fat. 4. High percentage of tobacco use among the male population. 5. Proximity of the community to chemical plants that have a poor history of regulating emissions.
The fetus of a woman you care for during labor is in a vertex presentation and at a –1 station. You would interpret this to mean that the fetal head is
A) at the ischial spines. B) engaged. C) floating. D) crowning.
The patient has had a stroke or brain attack, believed to be ischemic in nature. The causes of an ischemic stroke are least likely to include which of the following?
A) Thrombus of a cerebral artery B) Embolus of a cerebral artery C) Ruptured cerebral aneurysm D) Cerebrovascular obstruction