Nursing Process Practice Questions

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: �You must avoid hyperextending your neck after surgery.� This is because hyperextending the neck can put excessive strain on the surgical site, leading to potential complications such as bleeding or injury to the incision. Keeping the neck in a neutral position helps promote healing and reduces the risk of complications. A: �The head of your bed must remain flat for 24 hours after surgery.� - Incorrect. Elevating the head of the bed can help reduce swelling and promote drainage after thyroidectomy. B: �You should avoid deep breathing and coughing after surgery.� - Incorrect. Deep breathing and coughing are important to prevent respiratory complications such as pneumonia. C: �You won�t be able to swallow for the first day or two.� - Incorrect. Swallowing may be difficult initially but should improve gradually after surgery.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: �Your heart is not an efficient pump.� This response is the best choice as it accurately describes heart failure, which is a condition where the heart is unable to pump blood effectively. This leads to symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and fluid retention. Explanation: 1. Choice A is incorrect because heart failure does not mean the heart stops; it means the heart is not functioning properly. 2. Choice B is incorrect because heart failure does not necessarily mean there is dead muscle tissue in the heart. 3. Choice C is incorrect because heart failure is not about pumping too much blood; it is about the heart's inability to pump blood efficiently, leading to circulation problems and other symptoms.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A because providing clear liquids only until the patient can swallow solid foods is not a recommended nursing intervention to prevent aspiration. Clear liquids do not require the same level of swallowing coordination as solid foods, so it may not help improve swallowing ability. B: Having the patient swallow twice after each bite can help clear the throat and reduce the risk of aspiration. C: Placing food on the unaffected side of the mouth can help direct the food towards the stronger side for swallowing. D: Checking the patient's mouth for pocketing of food is important to ensure that food is not being retained in the mouth, which could lead to aspiration.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Resolve the client�s anxiety. Addressing the client's anxiety is the priority because it can impact their overall surgical experience, recovery, and outcomes. Resolving anxiety can improve the client's emotional well-being, enhance cooperation during surgery, and reduce postoperative complications related to stress. Providing emotional support and reassurance should be the initial focus to help the client feel more comfortable and confident about the upcoming surgery. The other choices are not the priority in this situation: A) Evaluating the need for antibiotics can be addressed later in the preoperative process, C) Providing preoperative education is important but not the immediate priority over addressing anxiety, and D) Preparing the client for surgery includes various components, but emotional well-being should be addressed first.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because developing a formal nursing diagnosis helps nurses focus on their scope of practice, which includes identifying and addressing the patient's nursing care needs. By formulating a clear nursing diagnosis, nurses can prioritize interventions that are within their domain of expertise. This ensures efficient and effective patient care delivery. A: Incorrect. Developing a nursing diagnosis is not about creating a language exclusive to nurses; it is about identifying patient care needs. B: Incorrect. While nursing diagnoses do delineate the nurse's role, the primary purpose is not to distinguish it from the physician's role. C: Incorrect. Nursing diagnoses are based on evidence and critical thinking, not solely on intuition or others' judgments.