The nurse auscultates the client's abdomen for 1 minute and does not hear anybowel sounds. What should the nurse do next?
Listen for another minute just to be sure
Contact the physician as this is a surgical emergency.
Auscultate for another 4 minutes
Listen posteriorly for enhanced bowel sounds
The Correct Answer is C
A) Listen for another minute just to be sure: While it is important to confirm findings, simply listening for another minute may not provide enough time to accurately assess bowel sounds, as they can be infrequent or absent in certain conditions.
B) Contact the physician as this is a surgical emergency: Not hearing bowel sounds for a minute is not immediately indicative of a surgical emergency. It’s essential to gather more information before escalating the situation.
C) Auscultate for another 4 minutes: This is the appropriate action, as the nurse should auscultate for a total of 5 minutes (1 minute initially and then 4 more minutes) to adequately assess bowel sounds. This duration allows for the detection of normal, hypoactive, or absent bowel sounds, which can provide critical information about the client’s gastrointestinal function.
D) Listen posteriorly for enhanced bowel sounds: While listening from different positions may sometimes help, the standard practice is to listen for an appropriate duration before changing techniques. Auscultating for a longer period is more clinically relevant in this scenario.
Nursing Test Bank
Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A) Information sharing is limited to those directly involved in the client's care: This statement reflects the principle of confidentiality and the ethical obligation to protect the client's private health information. Only healthcare providers directly involved in the client’s care should have access to their information, ensuring that it remains secure and confidential.
B) All members of the unit's healthcare team may have access to the client's chart: While many healthcare team members need access to the client's information for care coordination, this statement is misleading. Access should be limited to those directly involved in the client’s care to protect their confidentiality.
C) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) determines who may communicate with the client: While HIPAA does set guidelines for the protection of health information and governs the sharing of health data, it does not specifically determine who may communicate with the client. Instead, it focuses on protecting their privacy.
D) The medical records are open to any hospital employee, including administration: This statement is incorrect as it violates confidentiality principles. Medical records are not accessible to all hospital employees; access is restricted to authorized personnel only, ensuring that patient information is kept confidential.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
A) Lordosis: This term specifically refers to an exaggerated inward curvature of the spine, particularly in the cervical or lumbar regions. When the nurse observes an exaggerated cervical curve, lordosis is the correct term to use for documentation, indicating a deviation from the normal spinal alignment.
B) Scoliosis: This condition is characterized by an abnormal lateral curvature of the spine. It does not apply to the observation of an exaggerated cervical curve and would not be appropriate for this finding.
C) Kyphosis: This term denotes an excessive outward curvature of the thoracic spine, often leading to a hunchback appearance. Since the assessment focuses on the cervical region, kyphosis would not accurately describe an exaggerated cervical curve.
D) Normal curve: This term refers to the expected, healthy curvature of the spine. Documenting an exaggerated curve as "normal" would be misleading and does not accurately reflect the observed condition. The nurse should document the finding as lordosis to convey the specific abnormality noted.
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