The nurse is caring for a patient who will be returning to the nursing unit following a cardiac catheterization via the right femoral artery. Which assessment is the highest priority for the nurse to perform when the patient arrives on the unit?
a. Checking the patient's right pedal pulse and warmth of the right leg
b. Checking pulse oximetry and listening to the patient's lung sounds
c. Checking bilateral radial pulses to check for a pulse deficit
d. Estimating the patient's jugular venous pressure
ANS: A
Cardiac catheterization includes the insertion of a large IV needle into the patient's femoral artery. Occlusion of the femoral artery may develop after the procedure leading to faint or absent pedal pulses and loss of warmth to the right leg. The nurse should check the patient's right pedal pulses and leg warmth to ensure that the femoral artery has not become occluded. The other assessments may be performed once the patient's right leg is found to be warm with strong pulses.
You might also like to view...
The physician, in telling the nurse to follow an order, states, "If anything happens, I'll take full responsibility." What effect would the physician's statement have in a subsequent lawsuit for malpractice?
1. It provides a valid defense for the nurse in the lawsuit. 2. It alters the rule of personal accountability, because accountability is now substituted to the physician. 3. It alters the rule of professional accountability, because the physician is also a professional. 4. It does not alter the nurse's personal accountability at all.
Which client diagnosis does the nurse expect to observe clinical indicators for fluid volume deficit?
1. Heart failure 2. Kidney failure 3. Extensive burns 4. Cushing's disease
A licensed practice nurse (LPN) is working as a staff nurse. What role do the LPNs working as staff nurses play?
A) Work only in long-term care facilities and at client's homes B) Provide direct nursing care to the clients in the health care facility C) Work only as care providers, team members, and communicators D) Supervise the work of charge nurses working in different units
The nurse is caring for a client who has a foot wound that is not healing appropriately. How will accessing the clinical decision support (CDS) system help with this client's care?
A) Allows the nurse to view options from experts B) Facilitates available medical research C) Makes the decision for the next step D) Points the nurse in the next direction