Safe and Effective Care Environment Flashcards

A nurse is cleaning the wound of a 33-year-old client. The nurse cleans the wound from the center of the incision and then outward, followed by lateral motions. Which of the following best identifies this type of wound cleansing?

Answer: Horizontal

Cleaning a wound from the center of the incision outward, followed by lateral motions, describes a horizontal cleansing technique. This method is used to move contaminants away from the clean wound site, minimizing the risk of introducing bacteria into the wound. It ensures that the cleanest area (the incision) is cleaned first, and then subsequent strokes move outwards to less clean areas.

Which of the following is NOT true of delegation?

Answer: A nurse should always delegate patient assessments.

Patient assessment is a core responsibility of a registered nurse (RN) that requires critical thinking, clinical judgment, and the application of the nursing process. These complex activities cannot be delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) or other healthcare providers with a different scope of practice. While some data collection may be delegated, the comprehensive assessment and interpretation of findings remain the nurse's professional responsibility to ensure patient safety and appropriate care planning.

Which of the following best represents the steps of the chain of infection?

Answer: Etiologic agent, reservoir, portal of exit, method of transmission, portal of entry to the susceptible host, susceptible host

The chain of infection outlines the six essential links required for an infectious disease to spread. These links are the etiologic agent (the pathogen), the reservoir (where it lives), the portal of exit (how it leaves the reservoir), the method of transmission (how it travels), the portal of entry (how it enters a new host), and the susceptible host (the individual who can get infected). Breaking any one of these links is crucial for preventing the spread of infection.

There are several areas of regulation of nursing practice. Which of the following is NOT an accurate statement regarding the various methods and guidelines that regulate nursing practice?

Answer: Institutional policies are laws that are recognized by the courts and they detail how nurses are to perform their duties.

Institutional policies are facility-specific guidelines and rules that dictate how healthcare professionals are to perform their duties within that organization. They are not laws enacted by state legislatures or recognized by courts as legal statutes. Laws, such as the Nurse Practice Act, are legally binding and define the scope of nursing practice, while institutional policies provide operational guidance within that legal framework.

The nurse applies an external electronic fetal monitor (EFM) to assess a client's uterine contractions and evaluate the fetal heart rate (FHR). However, the client is uncomfortable and changes positions frequently, making FHR hard to assess. Consequently, the physician decides to switch to an internal EFM. Before internal monitoring can begin, which of the following must occur?

Answer: The membranes must rupture

Internal electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) involves placing electrodes directly on the fetal scalp and a pressure catheter inside the uterus. For these devices to be inserted, the amniotic membranes must have ruptured. This allows direct access to the fetus and the intrauterine cavity, which is a critical prerequisite for internal monitoring.

A 23-year-old female has kidney stones. She is scheduled for an intravenous pyelogram. Which of the following client statements should stand out as a concern to the nurse?

Answer: ”When I eat crab meat, I get short of breath."

An intravenous pyelogram (IVP) uses an iodine-based contrast dye. A client's statement about getting short of breath when eating crab meat indicates a potential shellfish allergy, which often correlates with an allergy to iodine. This poses a significant risk for an anaphylactic reaction to the contrast dye, making it a critical concern that the nurse must report immediately before the procedure.

The nurse should instruct a client who is self-administering Atropine (Atropisol) to wait how long between instilling the first drop and instilling the second drop:

Answer: 2 to 3 minutes.

When administering multiple eye drops, it is essential to wait 2 to 3 minutes between instilling the first and second drops. This allows sufficient time for the first drop to be absorbed and prevents the second drop from washing out the first. Waiting ensures maximum therapeutic effect and proper medication absorption, optimizing the treatment's efficacy.