The nurse has arrived at the scene of a natural disaster and is assigned to care for four patients. To which patient should the nurse provide care first?
a. Patient with a closed head injury with no changes in level of consciousness
b. Patient with a 3-cm laceration to the forearm
c. Patient who is breathing eight times per minute
d. Patient with a displaced wrist fracture
C
Nursing care should be prioritized when multiple patients are cared for at once. ABCs (airway, breathing, and circulation) should always take precedence. The patient who is breathing only eight times per minute is in need of immediate nursing care. The goal of triage is to sort, assess, and perform lifesaving measures as quickly as possible for large numbers of victims.
You might also like to view...
The nurse is teaching a pregnant woman with a prepregnancy body mass index of 26 about recommended weight gain
The nurse determines that the teaching was successful when the woman states that she should gain no more than which amount during pregnancy? A) 35 to 40 pounds B) 25 to 35 pounds C) 28 to 40 pounds D) 15 to 25 pounds
The nurse is caring for a child hospitalized for status asthmaticus. Which assessment finding suggests that the child's condition is worsening?
a. Hypoventilation b. Thirst c. Bradycardia d. Clubbing
What term is used to identify thrombi that occlude arterioles and capillaries and are made up of platelets with minimal fibrin and erythrocytes?
a. Essential (primary) thrombocythemia (ET) b. Acute idiopathic thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura c. Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) d. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
A nurse is inserting a peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter. Which client statement is of greatest concern during this procedure?
A. "I hate having IVs started." B. "It hurts when you are inserting the line." C. "My hand tingles when you poke me." D. "My IV lines never last very long."