Mixed Deck — All RPN Topics Flashcards
100 cards from real RPN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 20 Mixed Deck — All RPN Topics flashcards as text
Which phase of the nurse-client relationship involves mutually identifying problems and setting goals?
Answer: Working phase
The working phase is when the nurse and client collaborate on goal-directed problem solving and therapeutic work.
A nurse is performing a suicide risk assessment. Which factor represents the HIGHEST risk for a completed suicide attempt?
Answer: A specific plan with access to a lethal method
The presence of a specific, detailed plan combined with access to a lethal means significantly elevates the risk for a completed suicide and requires immediate intervention.
A nurse is teaching a new mother about newborn jaundice. Which statement by the mother indicates understanding?
Answer: 'I will feed my baby frequently to help clear the bilirubin.'
Frequent feedings promote stooling, which eliminates bilirubin and helps reduce physiologic jaundice.
Which action by an RPN constitutes professional misconduct under nursing practice legislation?
Answer: Performing a skill outside the approved scope without delegation
Performing tasks outside the legislated or employer-approved scope without proper delegation constitutes professional misconduct.
When applying elastic compression stockings (TED hose), which action is correct?
Answer: Apply stockings while the patient is supine before dependent edema accumulates
Compression stockings should be applied while the patient is supine (legs elevated) to prevent trapping edema under the stocking.
When a patient appears to have suffered a head injury, what should be done first?
Answer: Check for responsiveness.
The patient's state of consciousness and responsiveness must be evaluated as the first priority.
A client refuses a recommended blood transfusion due to religious beliefs. What is the RPN's primary ethical obligation?
Answer: Document the refusal and respect the client's autonomous decision
Respecting client autonomy means honoring informed refusals even when the RPN disagrees with the decision.
A patient with heart failure has a weight gain of 3 pounds overnight. What is the most appropriate nursing action?
Answer: Notify the physician and review fluid intake
Rapid weight gain of 2-3 pounds overnight indicates fluid retention requiring prompt provider notification.
A patient with a penetrating abdominal wound has an evisceration. The nurse's CORRECT intervention is to:
Answer: Cover the evisceration with moist sterile saline gauze and do not reinsert
Eviscerated organs should be covered with moist sterile saline gauze to prevent drying and ischemia, and never pushed back in, as this risks contamination and vascular compromise.
What is the first course of action for a patient who has overdosed on opioids?
Answer: Administer naloxone
Naloxone, a drug that counteracts the effects of opioids, is the first line of treatment for an overdose of opioids.
A client with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) spends 3 hours each morning performing handwashing rituals. Which therapeutic approach is evidence-based first-line treatment?
Answer: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) is the gold-standard cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD, involving gradual exposure to feared stimuli while preventing the compulsive ritual.
A patient with a documented penicillin allergy is prescribed amoxicillin. What is the nurse's priority action?
Answer: Withhold the medication and clarify the order with the prescriber
Amoxicillin is a penicillin-class antibiotic; administering it to a patient with a documented penicillin allergy is unsafe and requires prescriber clarification.
An RPN makes an error while documenting a client's vital signs on a paper chart. Which action is the correct procedure for correcting this mistake?
Answer: Draw a single line through the incorrect entry, write 'error' or 'mistaken entry' above it with the nurse's initials, and then record the correct information.
The professional and legal standard for correcting an error in a paper health record is to ensure the original entry remains legible. A single line is drawn through the error, it is labeled as an error with the nurse's initials, and the correct information is added. This maintains the integrity and transparency of the legal document.
A nurse is teaching a patient to use a peak flow meter. Which instruction is correct?
Answer: Stand or sit upright, inhale deeply, place meter in mouth, and exhale as hard and fast as possible
Peak flow is measured by a maximal forced exhalation after a deep inhalation, with the patient upright, to obtain an accurate measurement of airflow.
An RPN notices that a colleague has been charting vital signs without actually taking them. The RPN should FIRST:
Answer: Report the observation to the nurse manager or appropriate supervisor
The appropriate first step is to report the observation through the facility's internal chain of command (supervisor/manager) to protect patient safety.
A patient is in the ED after an industrial chemical splash to both eyes. The nurse's IMMEDIATE intervention is:
Answer: Irrigate both eyes copiously with normal saline for at least 20–30 minutes
Continuous copious eye irrigation is the priority intervention for chemical eye exposure to dilute and remove the offending agent before it causes permanent damage.
The RPN's role in supporting self-management for a client with a chronic illness, such as arthritis, primarily involves which of the following activities?
Answer: Collaborating with the client to set realistic goals and provide health teaching.
Self-management support empowers the client to take an active role in their health. The nurse's role is to act as a partner, collaborating with the client to set achievable goals, providing education on their condition, and helping them develop problem-solving skills to manage their illness effectively.
A patient with a known peanut allergy receives a medication and develops wheezing and urticaria. The nurse administers epinephrine. After 5 minutes, symptoms persist. The nurse should:
Answer: Administer a second dose of epinephrine
If anaphylaxis symptoms persist after the first dose of epinephrine, a second dose may be administered 5–15 minutes after the first.
A nurse is documenting informed consent. Which element is NOT required as part of informed consent documentation?
Answer: The nurse's personal opinion on whether the patient should proceed
Informed consent documentation captures the patient's decision after receiving objective information; the nurse's personal opinion is not a required element.
A patient with chronic venous insufficiency develops leg ulcers. Which intervention is the priority in ulcer management?
Answer: Apply compression bandaging to improve venous return
Compression therapy is the cornerstone of venous ulcer management as it reduces venous hypertension and promotes healing.
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