The nurse is preparing to apply a topical ointment to a patient with a sore throat. Which instruction by the nurse would lead to first to help facilitate absorption of the medication?
Ensure that the skin is clean and dry.
Don gloves prior to administration.
Take the patient's vital signs.
Apply to non irritated areas of the skin.
The Correct Answer is A
A. Ensure that the skin is clean and dry. Cleaning and drying the skin removes dirt, oils, and moisture that could impede the absorption of the medication. This is the first step to ensure maximum efficacy of the topical ointment.
B. Don gloves prior to administration. While wearing gloves is important for infection control and personal protection, it does not directly facilitate the absorption of the ointment into the patient's skin.
C. Take the patient's vital signs. Checking vital signs is a general nursing practice but is unrelated to the application of topical ointments and does not affect absorption.
D. Apply to non-irritated areas of the skin. Applying to non-irritated skin is important to avoid exacerbating skin issues, but it’s not the first step to facilitate absorption. Ensuring the skin is clean and dry takes precedence.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
A. Notify the charge nurse that patients may have received inappropriate medication dosages.
Jumping to conclusions about inappropriate dosages without first investigating the rationale for the dosing is premature and could cause unnecessary alarm.
B. Evaluate the laboratory values of each patient to determine liver and kidney function as a possible reason for decreased dosages. Lower dosages are often prescribed for older adults due to decreased liver and kidney function, which can affect drug metabolism and excretion. Evaluating lab values ensures that these dosages are appropriate and safe.
C. Do not worry about the discrepancy because this is not the nurse's unit.
Ignoring the discrepancy is not appropriate, as it’s important for all nurses to advocate for patient safety, regardless of the unit.
D. Call the nursing supervisor to investigate the nurse's concerns.
The nursing supervisor may need to be involved, but the first step is to review the relevant clinical data (lab values) to assess the situation.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A. Ask if the co-worker needs help with child care. While offering practical help like child care might seem supportive, it doesn’t directly address the underlying issue of the co-worker’s struggle with the night shift.
B. Encourage the co-worker to switch to herbal remedies. Suggesting herbal remedies is not appropriate, as it doesn't address the root cause of the co-worker's difficulties. Herbal remedies are also not a proven or necessarily safe solution for stress or shift work issues.
C. Refer the co-worker to the employee assistance program (EAP). This is the most appropriate action. The EAP is designed to help employees deal with personal problems, including work-related stress, and can provide professional counseling and support services.
D. Suggest the co-worker try to get a daytime position. While shifting to a daytime position might be a long-term solution, it is not an immediate action. The EAP can help address the stress and explore options, including a potential shift change.
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