A registered nurse (RN) is observing a student nurse who is doing a physical assessment on a pa-tient. The RN will need to intervene immediately if the student nurse
a. presses on the skin over the tibia for 10 seconds to check for edema.
b. palpates both carotid arteries simultane-ously to compare pulse quality.
c. documents a murmur heard along the right sternal border as a pulmonic murmur.
d. places the patient in the left lateral posi-tion to check for the point of maximal impulse.
ANS: B
The carotid pulses should never be palpated at the same time to avoid vagal stimulation, dysrhythmias, and decreased cerebral blood flow. The other assessment techniques also need to be corrected. However, they are not dangerous to the patient.
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