A nurse is caring for a patient with Osteosarcoma who is experiencing significant pain.
What nursing intervention should the nurse prioritize to address the patient's pain?
Administer analgesics as prescribed.
Offer emotional support to the patient.
Monitor surgical incisions for signs of infection.
Collaborate with physical therapists for rehabilitation.
The Correct Answer is A
Choice A rationale:
Administer analgesics as prescribed is the top priority nursing intervention for a patient with Osteosarcoma experiencing significant pain.
Osteosarcoma is a type of bone cancer known for causing severe pain, and effective pain management is crucial for the patient's comfort and well-being.
The nurse should follow the physician's orders and administer analgesics as prescribed to alleviate the pain.
This not only helps in providing immediate relief to the patient but also ensures that the pain is controlled effectively, improving the patient's overall quality of life and ability to participate in necessary treatments and activities.
Choice B rationale:
Offering emotional support to the patient is indeed an essential aspect of holistic care, but in this case, pain management takes precedence.
While emotional support is important, it should not be prioritized over addressing the patient's immediate physical discomfort.
Once the pain is managed, emotional support should be provided as part of comprehensive care.
Choice C rationale:
Monitoring surgical incisions for signs of infection is an important nursing responsibility, especially for post-surgery patients.
However, in this scenario, addressing the patient's significant pain should be the priority.
Infection monitoring should still be done but should not take precedence over pain management.
Choice D rationale:
Collaborating with physical therapists for rehabilitation is a valuable part of the patient's overall care plan, but it is not the immediate priority when the patient is experiencing significant pain.
Rehabilitation and physical therapy can be considered once the pain is under control and the patient's condition stabilizes.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is ["A","C","D"]
Explanation
"Examine the patient's liver function." While monitoring liver function is important in cancer patients, it is not a specific assessment related to Osteosarcoma.
Osteosarcoma primarily affects the bones and may spread to the lungs or other distant sites rather than the liver.
Choice E rationale:
"Perform a neurological examination." A neurological examination is not a standard assessment for Osteosarcoma.
This cancer primarily involves the bones and surrounding tissues, and neurological symptoms are not typically associated with it.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Chemotherapy is often used in the treatment of Osteosarcoma to help prevent the spread of cancer cells, which is known as metastasis.
Osteosarcoma has a tendency to metastasize to the lungs and other bones, and chemotherapy is administered to target and kill any remaining cancer cells that may have spread beyond the primary tumor site.
Therefore, the nurse's response that chemotherapy helps prevent metastasis is appropriate and educates the patient about one of its key purposes.
Choice A rationale:
"Chemotherapy helps reduce emotional distress" is an inaccurate statement.
While chemotherapy can be emotionally distressing due to its side effects, its primary purpose is to treat cancer by targeting and destroying cancer cells.
Managing emotional distress may be a part of supportive care but is not the main rationale behind chemotherapy.
Choice C rationale:
"Chemotherapy targets osteosarcoma cells directly" is not entirely accurate.
While chemotherapy does target cancer cells, it does not specifically target only Osteosarcoma cells.
It affects rapidly dividing cells, which includes both cancerous and some healthy cells, leading to various side effects.
The primary purpose of chemotherapy in Osteosarcoma is to prevent metastasis and shrink or eliminate the tumor.
Choice D rationale:
"Chemotherapy is used to manage pain" is not the main purpose of chemotherapy in Osteosarcoma.
Pain management is typically achieved through analgesics and other pain-relieving measures.
Chemotherapy may indirectly help with pain by shrinking the tumor and reducing pressure on surrounding tissues, but pain management is not its primary rationale.
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