Flashcards RN Targeted Medical Surgical Respiratory Online Practice

A nurse is assessing a client who has emphysema. Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider?

Elevated temperature

The nurse should report an elevated temperature to the provider because it can indicate a possible respiratory infection. Clients who have emphysema are at risk for the development of pneumonia and other respiratory infections.

A charge nurse is reviewing the care of a client who has a chest tube connected to a water seal drainage system in place following thoracic surgery with a newly licensed nurse. Which of the following statements by the newly licensed nurse indicated an understanding of when to notify the provider?

"I will notify the provider if there is continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber."

Continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber suggests an air leak and requires notification of the provider. The nurse should check the system for external, correctable leaks while waiting for instructions from the provider.

A nurse is planning care for a client who has asthma. Which of the following medications should the nurse plan to administer during an acute asthma attack?

Albuterol

The nurse should administer albuterol because it acts quickly to produce bronchodilation during an acute asthma attack.

A nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative and has a RR of 9/min secondary to general anesthesia effects and incisional pain. Which of the following ABG values indicates the client is experiencing respiratory acidosis?

pH 7.30, PO2 80 mm Hg, PaCO2 55 mm Hg, HCO3- 22 mEq/L

These ABG values indicate respiratory acidosis. The pH is less than 7.35 and the PaCO2 is greater than 45 mm Hg, which indicates respiratory acidosis.

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving mechanical ventilation when the low-pressure alarm sounds. Which of the following situations should the nurse recognize as a possible cause of the alarm?

Artificial airway cuff leak

An artificial airway cuff leak interferes with oxygenation and causes the low-pressure alarm to sound.

A nurse in a provider's office is assessing a client who has COPD. Which of the following findings is the priority for the nurse to report to the provider?

Productive cough with green sputum

When using the urgent vs. nonurgent approach to client care, the nurse should determine that the priority finding is a productive cough with green sputum. The nurse should report this finding to the provider because it can indicate infection.

A nurse is assessing a client who is 4 hr postoperative following a total laryngectomy. Which of the following findings is the priority for the nurse to report to the provider?

Decreased oxygen saturation

When using the airway, breathing, circulation approach to client care, the nurse should identify decreased oxygen saturation as the priority finding to address and report to the provider. A client who is postoperative following a total laryngectomy is at higher risk for hypoxia because of airway obstruction.

A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a client who is experiencing a pulmonary embolism. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Apply supplemental oxygen.

When using the airway, breathing, circulation approach to client care, the greatest risk to the client is severe hypoxemia. Therefore, the first action the nurse should take is to apply supplemental oxygen.

A nurse receives prescriptions from the provider for performing nasopharyngeal suctioning on four clients. For which of the following clients should the nurse clarify the provider's prescription?

A client who has epistaxis

The nurse should avoid providing nasopharyngeal suctioning for a client who has nasal bleeding because this intervention might cause an increase in bleeding.

A nurse is caring for four clients. Which of the following clients is at greatest risk for pulmonary embolism?

A client who is 48 hr postoperative following a total hip arthroplasty.

The nurse should identify that a client who has undergone a total hip arthroplasty surgery is at greatest risk for a pulmonary embolus because of decreased mobility of the affected extremity and an increased amount of blood clots forming in the veins of the thigh following hip surgery. Deep-vein thromboses are most likely to occur 48 to 72 hr following the arthroplasty. The nurse should intervene to reduce the risk by applying sequential compression devices or antiembolic stockings and by administering anticoagulant medications.

A nurse is caring for a client who is 1 hr postoperative following a thoracentesis. Which of the following is the priority assessment finding?

Persistent cough

When using the airway, breathing, circulation approach to client care, the nurse should determine that the priority finding is a persistent cough because this can indicate a tension pneumothorax, which is a medical emergency.

A nurse working in the emergency department is caring for a client following an acute chest trauma. Which of the following findings indicates to the nurse the client is possibly experiencing a tension pneumothorax?

Tracheal deviation to the unaffected side

The nurse should recognize that deviation of the trachea to the unaffected side is a possible indicator that the client is experiencing a tension pneumothorax. A tension pneumothorax results from free air filling the chest cavity, causing the lung to collapse and forcing the trachea to deviate to the unaffected side.

A nurse is assessing a client who has lung cancer. Which of the following clinical manifestations should the nurse expect?

Blood-tinged sputum

The nurse should expect blood-tinged sputum secondary to bleeding from the tumor.

A nurse in the emergency department is caring for a client who is experiencing acute respiratory failure. Which of the following laboratory findings should the nurse expect?

PaO2 58 mm Hg

The nurse should expect the client to have lower partial pressures of oxygen.

A nurse is preparing a client for discharge following a bronchoscopy with the use of moderate sedation. The nurse should place the priority on which of the following assessments?

Presence of gag reflex

The greatest risk to the client is aspiration due to a depressed gag reflex. Therefore, the priority assessment by the nurse is to determine the return of the gag reflex.

A charge nurse is caring for a client who is in respiratory distress and requires endotracheal suctioning. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

"I will use a rotating motion when removing the suction catheter."

The nurse should rotate the suction catheter during withdrawal to remove secretions from the sides of the airway.

A nurse is caring for a client who has a chest tube following a lobectomy. Which of the following items should the nurse keep easily accessible for the client?

Container of sterile water

The nurse should have a container of sterile water in a location that is easily accessible for this client. The nurse should plan to place the open end of the tubing into the sterile water if the tubing becomes disconnected to prevent a pneumothorax.

A nurse is assisting the provider who is performing a thoracentesis at the bedside of a client. Which of the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.)

Wear goggles and a mask during the procedure.

Cleanse the procedure area with an antiseptic solution.

Apply pressure to the site after the procedure.

A nurse is admitting a client who has active tuberculosis. Which of the following isolation precautions should the nurse implement?

Airborne

The nurse should initiate airborne precautions for a client who has tuberculosis because tuberculosis is a respiratory infection that is spread through the air. The client should be placed in a room with negative airflow pressure that is filtered through a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Members of the health care team should not enter the client's room without wearing an N95 respirator mask.

A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has a temporary tracheostomy. Which of the following statements by the client indicates an understanding of the teaching?

"I should remove the old twill ties after the new ties are in place."

As a safety measure, the nurse should teach the client to wait until the new ties are in place to remove the old ties. This practice can prevent accidental decannulation.

A nurse is caring for a client who has asthma and is receiving albuterol. For which of the following adverse effects should the nurse monitor the client?

Tachycardia

The nurse should monitor the client for tachycardia, which is a common adverse effect of this medication, especially if the client uses albuterol on a regular basis.

A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a client who has pulmonary tuberculosis and a new prescription for rifampin. Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

"Expect your urine and other secretions to be orange while taking this medication."

The nurse should inform the client that rifampin will turn urine and other secretions orange. Rifampin is hepatotoxic, so the nurse should also instruct the client to notify the provider if manifestations of hepatitis occur, including jaundice, fatigue, or malaise.

A nurse is caring for a client in acute respiratory failure who is receiving mechanical ventilation. Which of the following assessments is the best method for the nurse to use to determine the effectiveness of the current treatment regimen?

Arterial blood gases

When using the airway, breathing, circulation approach to client care, the nurse should place priority on evaluating arterial blood gases to determine serum oxygen saturation and acid-base balance.

A nurse is assessing a client who has bacterial pneumonia. Which of the following clinical manifestations should the nurse expect?

Temperature 38.8° C (101.8° F)

An elevated temperature is an expected finding for a client who has bacterial pneumonia.

A nurse is caring for a newly-admitted client who has emphysema. The nurse should place the client in which of the following positions to promote effective breathing?

High-Fowler's position with the arms supported on the overbed table

The nurse should place the client in a position that allows for greater expansion of the chest, such as sitting upright and leaning slightly forward while supporting both arms with pillows for comfort on the overbed table.

A nurse is assessing a client who has acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Which of the following findings should the nurse report to the provider?

Intercostal retractions

The nurse should report intercostal retractions to the provider because this finding indicates increasing respiratory compromise in a client who has ARDS.

A nurse is caring for a client who has a pulmonary embolism. Which of the following interventions is the priority?

Administer heparin via continuous IV infusion.

When using the airway, breathing, circulation approach to client care, the nurse should place priority on stabilizing circulation to the lungs by administering heparin to prevent further clot formation. Therefore, this is the priority intervention.

A nurse is providing teaching to a client who has chronic asthma and a new prescription for montelukast. Which of the following client statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?

"I will take this medication every night even if I don't have symptoms."

Montelukast is used for the prophylactic treatment of asthma and is taken on a daily basis in the evening.

A nurse is creating a plan of care for a client who has COPD. Which of the following interventions should the nurse include?

Provide a diet that is high in calories and protein.

The nurse should provide a client who has COPD with a diet that is high in calories and protein and low in carbohydrates.

A nurse is caring for a client who is in respiratory distress. Which of the following low-flow delivery devices should the nurse use to provide the client with the highest level of oxygen?

Nonrebreather mask

The nurse should use a nonrebreather mask for a client who is in respiratory distress to provide the highest oxygen level. A nonrebreather mask is made up of a reservoir bag from which the client obtains the oxygen, a one-way valve to prevent exhaled air from entering the reservoir bag, and exhalation ports with flaps that prevent room air from entering the mask. This device delivers greater than 90% FiO2.