Free Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An important factor to keep in mind when the nurse administers a vesicant chemotherapeutic drug intravenously is to:
- Infuse the medication over a short period
- Administer the chemotherapy through a small-bore catheter
- Hold the medication unless a central venous line is available
- Stop the infusion if swelling is observed at the site (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Stop the infusion if swelling is observed at the site
Extravasation may cause the area to swell, in which case the IV should be discontinued right away.
Question 2: A patient is given a prescription for a chemotherapy drug that has been linked to baldness. The nurse intends to keep up the patient's self-esteem by?
- Inform the patient that hair loss will not be permanent and that the hair will grow back
- Suggest that the patient limit social contacts until regrowth of the hair occurs
- Encourage the patient to purchase a wig or hat and wear it once hair loss begins (Correct answer)
- Have the patient wash the hair gently with a mild shampoo to minimize hair loss
Correct answer: Encourage the patient to purchase a wig or hat and wear it once hair loss begins
The patient is instructed to prepare with wigs, scarves, or hats and to expect hair loss.
Question 3: "I don't think my husband cares about me anymore," an ovarian cancer patient confides to the nurse. When the husband was present, he once told the nurse, "He rarely visits me. I just can't stand to see my wife so sick. I never know what to say to her." In this case, the following nursing diagnostic is appropriate:
- Impaired home maintenance related to perceived role changes
- Risk for caregiver role strain related to burdens of caregiving responsibilities
- Interrupted family processes related to the effect of illness on family members (Correct answer)
- Compromised family coping related to disruption in lifestyle and role changes
Correct answer: Interrupted family processes related to the effect of illness on family members
The results show that this diagnosis is most suitable because the patient's cancer diagnosis has distinct effects on the patient's family members.
Question 4: The oral mucosa and tongue of a patient receiving head and neck radiation and systemic chemotherapy have ulcerations, and their saliva is thick and ropey. An effective teaching method the nurse can use with the patient is to?
- Remove food debris from the teeth and oral mucosa with a stiff toothbrush
- Rinse the mouth before and after each meal and at bedtime with a saline solution (Correct answer)
- Use cotton-tipped applicators dipped in hydrogen peroxide to clean the teeth
- Gargle and rinse the mouth several times a day with an antiseptic mouthwash
Correct answer: Rinse the mouth before and after each meal and at bedtime with a saline solution
To lessen the discomfort and clean the sores, the patient should frequently rinse their mouth with a saline solution.
Question 5: All of these symptoms are reported by a patient who is getting interleukin-2 (IL-2) therapy (Proleukin). Which one needs to be reported to the healthcare provider first?
- Dyspnea (Correct answer)
- Insomnia
- Decreased appetite
- Generalized aches
Correct answer: Dyspnea
Dyspnea may be a sign of pulmonary edema and capillary leak syndrome, both of which need prompt medical attention.
Question 6: When a patient with liver cancer who is receiving home care from family members says, "I have intense pain most of the time now," the nurse knows that her pain management education has been successful.
- Uses the ordered opioid pain medication whenever the pain is greater than 5 on a 10-point scale
- Agrees to take the medications by the IV route to improve effectiveness
- Takes opioids around the clock on a regular schedule and uses additional doses when breakthrough pain occurs (Correct answer)
- States that nonopioid analgesics may be used when the maximal dose of the opioid is reached without adequate pain relief
Correct answer: Takes opioids around the clock on a regular schedule and uses additional doses when breakthrough pain occurs
Analgesics for cancer pain should be given regularly with additional dosages as needed for pain flare-ups.
Question 7: The adjuvant treatment for a patient with metastatic renal cell cancer is interleukin-2 (IL-2). The patient is informed by the nurse that the goal of this medication's therapy is to?
- Enhance the patient's immunologic response to tumor cells (Correct answer)
- Stimulate malignant cells in the resting phase to enter mitosis
- Prevent the bone marrow depression caused by chemotherapy
- Protect normal kidney cells from the damaging effects of chemotherapy
Correct answer: Enhance the patient's immunologic response to tumor cells
A T-lymphocyte produces IL-2, a naturally occurring protein that helps other white blood cells develop and operate more effectively. This treatment aims to improve the patient's immune system's capacity to control tumor cells.
Free Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner Questions and Answers
An important factor to keep in mind when the nurse administers a vesicant chemotherapeutic drug intravenously is to: