Registered Nurse: Reduction of Risk Potential Flashcards
7 cards from real RN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Registered Nurse: Reduction of Risk Potential flashcards as text
A nurse is reviewing a patient's medication list before surgery. Which finding requires the most immediate action?
Answer: The patient takes warfarin 5 mg daily
Warfarin must be discontinued before surgery to reduce the risk of excessive bleeding and is the most critical finding.
Which laboratory value should the nurse report immediately to the provider before administering digoxin?
Answer: Potassium 2.8 mEq/L
Hypokalemia (potassium < 3.5 mEq/L) increases the risk of digoxin toxicity and must be reported before administration.
A patient is scheduled for a contrast CT scan. Which assessment finding is most important to report to the radiologist?
Answer: Serum creatinine of 2.4 mg/dL
An elevated creatinine indicates impaired renal function, which increases the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy.
A nurse administers a subcutaneous injection of insulin to the wrong patient. What is the nurse's first action?
Answer: Assess the patient's blood glucose level
The immediate priority is to assess the patient's blood glucose to identify hypoglycemia and initiate treatment as needed.
Which intervention is the nurse's priority when caring for a patient in skeletal traction?
Answer: Assessing pin sites for signs of infection
Pin site infection is a serious complication of skeletal traction and requires routine assessment to detect early signs.
A post-operative patient's SpO2 drops to 88%. After repositioning the patient, the SpO2 remains at 90%. What is the nurse's next action?
Answer: Apply supplemental oxygen as ordered
An SpO2 of 90% is below the normal threshold and supplemental oxygen should be applied per protocol to prevent further hypoxia.
Which action best reduces the risk of a wrong-site surgical procedure?
Answer: Performing a time-out immediately before the incision
The surgical time-out performed immediately before the incision is the last line of defense to confirm correct patient, site, and procedure.