LPN Patient Care & Clinical Skills 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When performing tracheostomy suctioning, what is the maximum suction time per pass?
- 5 seconds
- 10 seconds (Correct answer)
- 20 seconds
- 30 seconds
Correct answer: 10 seconds
Suctioning should be limited to 10–15 seconds per pass to prevent hypoxia and mucosal trauma.
Question 2: A patient wearing a sequential compression device (SCD) complains of leg numbness. What is the LPN's first action?
- Document the finding and reassess in 30 minutes
- Remove the SCD and assess circulation (Correct answer)
- Loosen the device and elevate the legs
- Encourage the patient to ambulate
Correct answer: Remove the SCD and assess circulation
Numbness may indicate impaired circulation or nerve compression, so the SCD must be removed immediately to assess the extremity.
Question 3: Which technique is correct when administering a subcutaneous injection to an average-weight adult?
- Insert needle at 90 degrees, aspirate before injecting
- Insert needle at 45 degrees, do not aspirate (Correct answer)
- Insert needle at 15 degrees, aspirate before injecting
- Insert needle at 90 degrees into muscle, do not aspirate
Correct answer: Insert needle at 45 degrees, do not aspirate
Subcutaneous injections are given at a 45-degree angle (or 90 degrees in obese patients) without aspiration per current evidence-based guidelines.
Question 4: A patient who had a stroke has dysphagia. Which food consistency is safest to offer initially?
- Regular solid foods
- Thin liquids
- Pureed foods with nectar-thick liquids (Correct answer)
- Clear broth only
Correct answer: Pureed foods with nectar-thick liquids
Pureed foods and nectar-thick liquids reduce aspiration risk in dysphagia patients until a formal swallowing evaluation is completed.
Question 5: The LPN is caring for a patient in Buck's traction for a hip fracture. Which action is correct?
- Remove the weights when repositioning the patient
- Keep the weights hanging freely at all times (Correct answer)
- Apply the traction boot over bare skin without padding
- Position the affected leg in external rotation
Correct answer: Keep the weights hanging freely at all times
Traction weights must hang freely and continuously to maintain proper alignment and therapeutic effect.
Question 6: A patient is receiving a unit of packed red blood cells. Fifteen minutes into the transfusion, the patient develops hives and itching. What should the LPN do first?
- Slow the transfusion rate and give diphenhydramine
- Stop the transfusion and keep the IV line open with normal saline (Correct answer)
- Administer epinephrine immediately
- Continue the transfusion while notifying the provider
Correct answer: Stop the transfusion and keep the IV line open with normal saline
Stopping the transfusion immediately and maintaining IV access with normal saline is the priority action for any suspected transfusion reaction.
Question 7: Which action by the LPN best prevents catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI)?
- Irrigate the catheter with sterile saline daily
- Keep the drainage bag above the level of the bladder when ambulating
- Perform perineal care around the catheter with soap and water (Correct answer)
- Change the catheter every 48 hours
Correct answer: Perform perineal care around the catheter with soap and water
Daily perineal hygiene around the catheter insertion site is the most effective nursing action for preventing CAUTI.
LPN Patient Care & Clinical Skills 3
When performing tracheostomy suctioning, what is the maximum suction time per pass?