Clinical Knowledge and Skills Flashcards
7 cards from real RELIAS practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Knowledge and Skills flashcards as text
A patient receiving a blood transfusion develops fever, chills, and back pain 15 minutes after initiation. What is the priority nursing action?
Answer: Stop the transfusion immediately and maintain IV access with normal saline
Signs of a transfusion reaction require immediately stopping the transfusion while maintaining IV access for emergency medications.
Which wound characteristic indicates a stage 3 pressure injury?
Answer: Full-thickness tissue loss without exposed bone, tendon, or muscle
Stage 3 pressure injuries involve full-thickness tissue loss that may include subcutaneous fat but without exposed underlying structures.
A patient has a serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L. Which clinical manifestation would you most likely assess?
Answer: Muscle weakness and leg cramps
Hypokalemia commonly causes muscle weakness and cramping due to altered cell membrane excitability.
When administering a subcutaneous injection of heparin, the nurse should:
Answer: Inject into the abdomen 2 inches from the umbilicus and do not rub the site
Heparin subcutaneous injections in the abdomen avoid the umbilicus; rubbing the site is avoided to prevent bruising and hematoma formation.
A patient on long-term corticosteroid therapy should be monitored for which metabolic complication?
Answer: Hyperglycemia and Cushing's syndrome features
Long-term corticosteroids cause hyperglycemia by promoting gluconeogenesis and insulin resistance, along with classic Cushing's features.
A patient's pain is rated 8/10 and opioids are ordered. Before administering, the nurse should assess which parameter?
Answer: Respiratory rate and level of consciousness
Opioids can cause respiratory depression; assessing respiratory rate and LOC before administration ensures patient safety.
Which technique best verifies nasogastric tube placement before feeding?
Answer: Aspirating gastric contents and confirming pH ≤5.5 via pH paper
Aspirating gastric contents and testing pH ≤5.5 is the most reliable bedside method to confirm gastric placement of an NG tube.