A nurse has received change-of-shift report for four clients. Which of the following clients should the nurse attend to first?
A client who has an abdominal wound and serosanguineous drainage
A client who had an open appendectomy 24 hr ago and reports a pain level of 5 on a scale from 0 to 10
A client who had a laminectomy 12 hr ago and reports numbness of the feet
A client who has COPD and an oxygen saturation level of 89%
The Correct Answer is D
A. A client who has an abdominal wound and serosanguineous drainage:
This is expected in the early postoperative period unless drainage is excessive.
B. A client who had an open appendectomy 24 hr ago and reports a pain level of 5 on a scale from 0 to 10:
Pain should be addressed promptly, but it is not life-threatening and can be prioritized after more urgent issues.
C. A client who had a laminectomy 12 hr ago and reports numbness of the feet:
New numbness after spinal surgery could indicate nerve compression and needs urgent assessment, but airway and breathing take priority.
D. A client who has COPD and an oxygen saturation level of 89%:
An SpO₂ of 89% indicates hypoxemia, which is an airway/breathing issue and takes priority according to the ABCs.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A. A client who requires initial education about blood glucose monitoring:
Initial client teaching requires assessment, knowledge of the learning process, and evaluation - all of which are within the RN’s scope, not LPN or AP.
B. A client who requires an enteral feeding:
An LPN can safely administer an established enteral feeding, so this does not have to be reassigned to an RN.
C. A client who requires tracheostomy suctioning:
Tracheostomy suctioning of a stable patient is within the LPN’s scope of practice. Only unstable airway situations or assessment findings requiring intervention would necessitate an RN.
D. A client who requires irrigation of an indwelling urinary catheter:
LPNs are allowed to irrigate indwelling urinary catheters in most settings, so this task does not require RN reassignment.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Complete an incident report:
This is an important step for documentation and risk management but should be done after assessing for possible client harm.
B. Evaluate the client for injury:
The nurse’s first responsibility after discovering an error is to assess the client’s condition to ensure safety and identify any adverse effects (priority: client safety).
C. Notify the nurse manager:
This is appropriate after assessing the client, but not the immediate first step.
D. Report the error to the provider:
This should be done after assessing the client so the provider can be informed of the client’s current status and any necessary interventions.
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