The nurse is listening for bowel sounds in a postoperative patient. The bowel sounds are slow, as they are heard only every 3 to 4 minutes. The patient asks the nurse why this is happening. What is the nurse's best response?
a. "Anesthesia during surgery and pain medication after surgery may slow peristalsis in the bowel."
b. "Some people have a slower bowel than others, and this is nothing to be concerned about."
c. "The foods you eat contribute to peristalsis, so you should eat more fiber in your diet."
d. "Bowel peristalsis is slow because you are not walking. Get more exercise during the day."
ANS: A
Anesthesia and pain medication used in conjunction with the surgery are affecting the peristalsis of the bowel. Having a slower bowel, eating certain food, or lack of exercise will not have a direct effect on the bowel.
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When a Mexican-American woman and nurse interact, the patient often holds the nurse's hand or links arms with the nurse. The nurse is uncomfortable with this behavior. Which analysis is most accurate?
a. The patient is using touch to make the nurse uncomfortable and manipulate the relationship based on that factor. b. An energy field disturbance has occurred. Touch rebalances the energy between the patient and nurse. c. The patient is afraid of being alone. When touching the nurse, the patient is reassured and comforted. d. The patient is accustomed to and comfortable with touch, as are members of many Hispanic cultures.
The perinatal nurse teaches the student nurse about the physiological changes in pregnancy that most often contribute to the increased incidence of urinary tract infections. These changes include:
Select all answers that apply: A) Relaxation of the smooth muscle of the urinary sphincter B) Relaxation of the smooth muscle of the bladder C) Inadequate emptying of the bladder D) Increased incidence of bacteriuria
When a nurse asks himself or herself questions such as "Why am I here?," the nurse is attempting to
A) Develop the concepts of holism and integration B) Become a more spiritual being for other people C) Develop a philosophical base for clearer thinking D) Strive toward unity with the higher power
The nurse is speaking with a preschool-age child whose sibling recently died. Which feelings should the nurse anticipate from the preschool-age child?
1. The child may feel that his or her bad behavior caused the sibling's death as a punishment. 2. The child may feel that the sibling died as a result of a fight. 3. The child may feel that having bad thoughts about the sibling caused the death. 4. The child may feel that the sibling died because the parents did not like that sibling.