The nurse measures the client’s blood pressure (BP) and notes that it is significantly higher than the previous reading. Which should the nurse do next? (Select all that apply)

Immediately take 2 more readings on the same arm.

Assign the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to recheck the BP in an hour.

Retake the client’s blood pressure in the opposite arm.

Ask another nurse to assist in assessing for an apical-radial pulse deficit.

Determine the client’s activity and feelings prior to the BP measurement.

Answer and Explanation

Correct Answer : A,C,E

Choice A reason: Taking two more readings confirms elevated BP, as a single reading may reflect technique errors or transient factors like pain, which increase sympathetic activity and vasoconstriction. Multiple readings ensure accuracy, critical for diagnosing hypertension and guiding intervention to prevent cardiovascular complications like stroke.

Choice B reason: Assigning a UAP to recheck BP in an hour delays assessment of potentially dangerous hypertension, which risks acute complications like myocardial ischemia. Immediate confirmation is needed, as elevated BP from norepinephrine release increases vascular resistance, making delayed rechecking inappropriate for urgent evaluation.

Choice C reason: Retaking BP in the opposite arm verifies accuracy, as differences may indicate arterial occlusion. Elevated BP increases catecholamine-driven vascular resistance. Measuring both arms rules out localized issues, ensuring reliable data to guide management of hypertension, critical to prevent end-organ damage like renal failure.

Choice D reason: Assessing apical-radial pulse deficit is relevant for atrial fibrillation, not directly for elevated BP. Hypertension results from increased vascular resistance, not pulse discrepancies. Confirming BP and assessing context are more immediate to determine urgency, making this less relevant than verifying readings or identifying triggers.

Choice E reason: Determining activity and feelings identifies transient BP elevation causes, like stress or exercise, which raise norepinephrine, increasing heart rate and vascular tone. This contextualizes the reading, differentiating situational from chronic hypertension, ensuring appropriate intervention to manage cardiovascular risk and guide further assessment.

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Correct Answer is D

Explanation

Choice A reason: Reviewing vascular disease history provides context but does not confirm perfusion status. An absent DP pulse may indicate arterial occlusion, risking ischemia. Doppler assessment directly evaluates blood flow, detecting patency, critical for guiding interventions to ensure limb perfusion, making history review secondary.

Choice B reason: Marking an auscultated DP pulse is incorrect, as pulses are palpated or Doppler-assessed, not auscultated. Auscultation applies to heart or lungs. Doppler confirms arterial flow, addressing absent pulse’s potential occlusion, making this inaccurate compared to the precise Doppler technique.

Choice C reason: Capillary refill evaluates perfusion but is less specific than Doppler, which confirms arterial flow. Prolonged refill may indicate ischemia, but absent DP pulse suggests arterial compromise. Doppler acoustically detects flow, diagnosing critical limb ischemia, making it the priority over indirect perfusion measures.

Choice D reason: Using Doppler to assess DP pulse is critical, as an absent pulse may indicate occlusion from peripheral arterial disease, risking ischemia. Doppler detects blood flow, confirming patency or obstruction, guiding urgent interventions like angiography, ensuring limb viability by addressing vascular compromise directly.

A. Obtain another measurement of the client’s blood pressure. B. Determine what medications the client recently received. C. Administer the antihypertensive medication as prescribed. D. Consult with the PN about the client’s condition at 0800.

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

Choice A reason: Obtaining another blood pressure measurement is critical, as lethargy, pallor, and diaphoresis suggest hypotension or shock, despite the earlier 140/90 reading. This guides safe administration of antihypertensives, preventing harm, per cardiovascular assessment and medication safety protocols in nursing practice.

Choice B reason: Determining recent medications is important but secondary to assessing current blood pressure, as symptoms suggest acute instability. Blood pressure confirms hypotension risk before reviewing drugs, ensuring timely intervention, per cardiovascular assessment and patient safety standards in nursing care.

Choice C reason: Administering antihypertensives without reassessing blood pressure is unsafe, as lethargy, pallor, and diaphoresis indicate possible hypotension. Confirming blood pressure prevents exacerbating instability, per medication safety and cardiovascular monitoring protocols in nursing practice for clients with hypertension.

Choice D reason: Consulting the PN about the 0800 condition delays immediate assessment of current symptoms. Blood pressure measurement addresses acute lethargy, pallor, and diaphoresis, guiding intervention. Consultation is secondary, per prioritization and cardiovascular assessment standards in nursing care.

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The nurse measures the client’s blood pressure (BP) and notes that it is significantly higher than the previous reading. Which should the nurse do next? (Select all that apply)

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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams

While completing an admission assessment, the nurse is unable to palpate the client’s left dorsalis pedis (DP) pulse. Which intervention is most important for the nurse to implement?

Correct Answer is D

Explanation

At 0800, the practical nurse (PN) reports to the registered nurse (RN) that a client’s blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg. When the RN arrives to administer the 0900 antihypertensive medication, the client is oriented but lethargic, pale, and diaphoretic. Which action should the RN implement first?

Correct Answer is A

Explanation

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