A nurse is reviewing the plan of care for a client following a total hip arthroplasty. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

Assess the client's incision every 8 hours for the first 48 hours.

Inform the assistive personnel of the client's weight-bearing status.

Instruct the client to cross their legs at the ankles when sitting in a chair.

Teach the client's partner to assist the client to flex the hip at least 120° each hour.

Answer and Explanation

The Correct Answer is B

The correct answer is b. Inform the assistive personnel of the client’s weight-bearing status.

Choice A: Assess the client’s incision every 8 hours for the first 48 hours. While it is important to monitor the incision site for signs of infection, the frequency of every 8 hours for the first 48 hours may not be necessary unless specified by the surgeon or the patient’s condition warrants it.

Choice B: Inform the assistive personnel of the client’s weight-bearing status. This is the correct answer. After a total hip arthroplasty, it’s crucial to communicate the client’s weight-bearing status to all members of the healthcare team, including assistive personnel. This helps ensure that everyone is aware of the client’s mobility limitations and can assist the client safely.

Choice C: Instruct the client to cross their legs at the ankles when sitting in a chair. This is not recommended. After a hip arthroplasty, patients are typically advised not to cross their legs to prevent dislocation of the new hip joint.

Choice D: Teach the client’s partner to assist the client to flex the hip at least 120° each hour. This is not recommended. After a hip arthroplasty, patients are typically advised to avoid flexing the hip more than 90 degrees to prevent dislocation of the new hip joint1. Therefore, flexing the hip at least 120° each hour could potentially harm the patient.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

The correct answer is choice D.

Choice A rationale:

“Auscultate the client’s bowel sounds.” While auscultating bowel sounds can provide information about the client’s gastrointestinal function, it is not the priority assessment for a client who has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea for the past 6 hours.

Choice B rationale:

“Measure the client’s temperature.” Measuring the client’s temperature can help identify if the client has an infection, which could be causing the vomiting and diarrhea. However, it is not the priority assessment in this situation.

Choice C rationale:

“Check the client’s urine specific gravity.” Checking the client’s urine specific gravity can provide information about the client’s hydration status. However, it is not the priority assessment for a client who has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea for the past 6 hours.

Choice D rationale:

“Obtain the client’s serum potassium level.” This is the correct answer. Prolonged vomiting and diarrhea can lead to significant loss of electrolytes, including potassium. A low potassium level (hypokalemia) can have serious effects, including cardiac arrhythmias. Therefore, obtaining the client’s serum potassium level is the priority assessment.

A. "Take vital signs every 2 hours for the client who had a cholecystectomy in room 6122.” B. "Check the urinary output at 11:00 for John Doe and report it to me immediately.” C. "Report to me if the chest tube drainage is excessive for Jane Doe in room 2438.” D. "Please notify me of any clients whose vital signs or blood glucose levels are significant.”

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

The answer isb. "Check the urinary output at 11:00 for John Doe and report it to me immediately.”

This instruction follows the five rights of delegation by including the requirements for right direction/communication: the data to collect, client-specific information, a timeline for data collection, and the expectation for communicating the findings back to the nurse.

a. "Take vital signs every 2 hours for the client who had a cholecystectomy in room 6122.” is wrong because it does not specify which client to monitor.The AP should know the client’s name and room number for identification and safety purposes.

c. "Report to me if the chest tube drainage is excessive for Jane Doe in room 2438.” is wrong because it does not define what constitutes excessive drainage.The nurse should provide clear and measurable criteria for the AP to follow.

d. "Please notify me of any clients whose vital signs or blood glucose levels are significant.” is wrong because it is vague and does not indicate which clients to check, how often to check them, or what values are significant.The nurse should provide specific and individualized instructions for each client

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A nurse is reviewing the plan of care for a client following a total hip arthroplasty. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

Nursing Test Bank

Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

A nurse is caring for a client who reports vomiting and diarrhea for the past 6 hours. The nurse should identify that which of the following assessments is the priority?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Which of the following instructions provided by a nurse reflects effective communication regarding delegation of a task to an assistive personnel (AP)?

Correct Answer is B

Explanation

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