Basic Care and Comfort Flashcards
6 cards from real NCLEX practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Basic Care and Comfort flashcards as text
A nurse is caring for a client who has been on bed rest for 5 days. Which intervention is the highest priority to prevent complications?
Answer: Reposition the client every 2 hours
Repositioning every 2 hours is the highest priority to prevent pressure injuries, which are a major complication of immobility. All other interventions are also important but pressure ulcer prevention is the most immediate concern.
A nurse is assisting a post-operative client with the first ambulation after hip replacement surgery. Which action should the nurse take first?
Answer: Have the client dangle legs at the side of the bed
Dangling the legs at the side of the bed before standing allows the client's blood pressure to equilibrate and reduces the risk of orthostatic hypotension. This is the correct first step before attempting to stand.
A nurse is caring for a client receiving nasogastric tube feedings. Which action should the nurse take before initiating the feeding?
Answer: Verify tube placement by checking gastric pH
Verifying nasogastric tube placement before initiating any feeding is the priority safety action to prevent aspiration. Checking aspirate pH (should be 4 or less for gastric placement) confirms the tube is in the stomach.
A nurse is providing oral hygiene for an unconscious client. Which action is most important to prevent aspiration?
Answer: Position the client in a lateral (side-lying) position
Positioning the unconscious client in a lateral (side-lying) position allows fluids to drain from the mouth by gravity rather than pooling in the posterior pharynx, significantly reducing the risk of aspiration.
A nurse is assessing a client for pain using a numeric rating scale. The client rates their pain as 8 out of 10. Which intervention should the nurse implement first?
Answer: Administer the prescribed analgesic medication
A pain rating of 8/10 indicates severe pain. The nurse should administer the prescribed analgesic first to provide timely relief, as pain management is a priority nursing intervention.
A nurse is caring for a client with a urinary catheter in place for 3 days. The client asks why the catheter tubing must always be positioned below the level of the bladder. What is the best explanation?
Answer: It allows urine to drain by gravity and prevents backflow
Keeping the catheter tubing and drainage bag below bladder level allows urine to drain by gravity, which prevents backflow of urine into the bladder — a major cause of urinary tract infections.