Safety and Mobility Needs Flashcards
7 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 7 Safety and Mobility Needs flashcards as text
A patient returning from surgery is alert but reports dizziness when sitting upright. The nurse's first action should be to:
Answer: Check blood pressure in supine and then sitting positions
Orthostatic hypotension is a common post-operative finding; measuring blood pressure in supine and sitting positions confirms the cause before further action.
When using a mechanical (Hoyer) lift to transfer a patient, the nurse must ensure:
Answer: Two staff members are present during the transfer
Policy and safety standards require a minimum of two staff members when operating a mechanical lift to prevent equipment failure injuries and ensure patient safety.
A nurse notes a patient's peripheral IV site is cool, pale, and swollen. This assessment finding is consistent with:
Answer: Infiltration
Infiltration occurs when IV fluid leaks into surrounding tissue, causing coolness, pallor, and swelling at the site.
Which patient is at HIGHEST risk for a fall?
Answer: A 78-year-old taking furosemide and an antihypertensive who ambulates with a walker
Advanced age, diuretic and antihypertensive use (increasing orthostatic hypotension risk), and use of an assistive device all significantly increase fall risk.
The nurse is teaching a patient to use crutches with a swing-through gait. Which instruction is correct?
Answer: Bear weight through the wrists, not the axillae, when swinging
Weight must be borne through the palms and wrists; axillary pressure can damage the brachial plexus nerve, causing 'crutch palsy.'
A nurse is caring for a patient with a seizure disorder. Which safety measure is the highest priority?
Answer: Keeping padded side rails up at all times
Padded, raised side rails protect the patient from injury during a seizure; bite blocks and oral airways are contraindicated and should never be forced into the mouth.
A patient wearing a vest restraint needs to be repositioned. The nurse should:
Answer: Remove the restraint, reposition the patient, then reapply
The restraint must be removed to allow full range of motion and skin assessment during repositioning, then reapplied correctly after repositioning.
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