It is midmorning on the cardiac unit where you work, and you are getting a new patient. G.P. is a 60-yearold retired businessman who is married and has three grown children
As you take his health history, he
tells you that he began feeling changes in his chest about 10 days ago. He has hypertension (HTN) and
a 5-year history of angina pectoris. During the past week, he has had frequent episodes of mid-chest
discomfort. The chest pain responds to nitroglycerin (NTG), which he has taken sublingually about 8 to
10 times over the past week. During the week, he has also experienced increased fatigue. He states, "I
just feel crappy all the time." A cardiac catheterization done several years ago revealed 50% stenosis of
the right coronary artery (RCA) and 50% stenosis of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery.
He tells you that both his mother and his father had coronary artery disease (CAD). He is currently taking
amlodipine (Norvasc), metoprolol (Lopressor), atorvastatin (Lipitor), and aspirin 81 mg/day.
What other information are you going to obtain about his episodes of chest pain?
• Are they accompanied by other signs and symptoms, such as nausea or vomiting, diaphoresis,
shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness, palpitations, or anxiety?
• Do they occur during exercise, after eating a large meal, in cold weather, or during periods of
stress? Or do the episodes of chest pain occur during rest?
• What is the quality of the pain? Ask him to describe the sensation in his own words. Ask him to rate
the chest pain on a scale of 1 to 10.
• How long do the episodes last?
• Does the pain radiate to other areas of the body?
• How many NTG tablets does he take before the chest pain is relieved?
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A patient is seen in the clinic for complaints of "fainting episodes that started last week." How should the nurse proceed with the examination?
a. Blood pressure readings are taken in both the arms and the thighs. b. The patient is assisted to a lying position, and his blood pressure is taken. c. His blood pressure is recorded in the lying, sitting, and standing positions. d. His blood pressure is recorded in the lying and sitting positions; these numbers are then averaged to obtain a mean blood pressure.
The unique clinical presentation of a 3-month-old infant in the emergency department leads the care team to suspect botulism
Which of the following assessment questions posed to the parents is likely to be most useful in the differential diagnosis? A) "Have you ever given your child any honey or honey-containing products?" B) "Is there any family history of neuromuscular diseases?" C) "Has your baby ever been directly exposed to any chemical cleaning products?" D) "Is there any mold in your home that you know of?"
A laboring woman's husband tells the nurse that his wife is shaking and does not want him to touch her anymore. The nurse should explain that these characteristics are normal and should not be taken personally
What phase of labor is the woman likely to be in? a. Active c. Second b. First d. Transition
What is the primary difference between hospital care and home health care?
1. Home care is routinely delivered continuously by professional staff. 2. Home care is delivered on an intermittent basis by professional staff. 3. Home care is delivered for emergency conditions. 4. Home care is not available 24 hours a day.