Basic Care and Comfort Flashcards
6 cards from real NACE 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 patient with a nasogastric (NG) tube for enteral feeding. Before administering the feeding, what should the nurse verify first?
Answer: Correct tube placement
Verifying correct NG tube placement before each feeding is essential to prevent pulmonary aspiration of feeding formula into the lungs.
Which nursing intervention is most appropriate for a patient experiencing constipation?
Answer: Encourage a high-fiber diet and increased fluid intake
A high-fiber diet combined with adequate fluid intake promotes normal bowel function by adding bulk to stool and facilitating peristalsis.
A patient who is immobile is at risk for developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Which nursing intervention helps prevent this complication?
Answer: Applying sequential compression devices
Sequential compression devices (SCDs) promote venous return by intermittently compressing the legs, reducing blood stasis that leads to DVT formation.
When assisting a patient with a bed bath, in which direction should the nurse wash the extremities?
Answer: Distal to proximal
Washing from distal to proximal (from hands/feet toward the trunk) promotes venous return and follows the direction of blood flow back to the heart.
A nurse is assessing a patient's nutritional status. Which laboratory value is the best indicator of protein status?
Answer: Serum albumin
Serum albumin reflects protein status and is commonly used as a marker of nutritional health, though it has a long half-life of approximately 20 days.
What is the most important nursing consideration when applying a cold pack to a patient's injury?
Answer: Limit application to 20 minutes at a time
Cold therapy should be limited to 15-20 minutes per application to prevent tissue damage from prolonged cold exposure, including frostbite and impaired circulation.