Deck 63: First Aid, Emergency Care, and Disaster Management

Question 1

A homeless person is brought to the emergency department after having been found asleep on a park bench under a layer of snow.He has a rectal temperature of 95 $\degree$ F.Which additional symptoms should the nurse anticipate?

A) Diminished breath sounds and inadequate chest expansion
B) Shivering, decreased heart rate, and increased blood pressure (BP)
C) Confusion, increased hunger, and hypertension
D) Decreased irregular heart and respiratory rates and decreased BP

Answer 1

Decreased irregular heart and respiratory rates and decreased BP

Question 2

A patient comes to the emergency department with an evisceration after a knife attack.What is the best nursing intervention related to the exposed bowel?

A) Gently replace the bowel into the abdominal cavity.
B) Place a sterile wrapped sandbag on the abdomen to prevent further evisceration.
C) Place the patient in a high Fowler position to allow the bowel to drop back into the abdominal cavity.
D) Cover the bowel with a moist saline dressing.

Answer 2

Cover the bowel with a moist saline dressing.

Question 3

An accident victim comes to the emergency department with an open chest wound.What should the nurse apply to the wound?

A) Occlusive dressing taped on four sides
B) Tight Ace wrap
C) No dressing of any sort
D) Vented dressing, taped on three sides

Answer 3

Vented dressing, taped on three sides

Question 4

Which condition may complicate the assessment of an older adult patient with a suspected head injury?

A) Sensory deficits
B) Slowed metabolism
C) Preexisting cerebral dysfunction
D) Decreased pulmonary function

Question 5

A child is brought to the emergency department with several deep dog bites on her legs.After cleaning the wounds, what should the nurse be primarily concerned with ascertaining?

A) The whereabouts of the dog
B) The status of tetanus inoculation
C) The rabies status of the animal
D) The child's allergy to the rabies vaccine

Question 6

What is the initial intervention for an unconscious patient who is not breathing according to one-person CPR principles, as taught and practiced by professional nurses?

A) Lift the jaw to clear the airway.
B) Call for assistance.
C) Start chest compressions.
D) Remove patient clothing to visualize the chest.

Question 7

What instructions should the nurse provide for immediate treatment for epistaxis?

A) "Stand still, lean your head back so that the blood won't get all over everything, and pinch your nose shut for at least 10 minutes."
B) "Stand still, lean your head forward, and pinch your nose tightly for at least 10 minutes."
C) "Sit down on a solid surface, lean your head forward to let the blood run out, and then pinch your nose closed for at least 30 minutes."
D) "Sit down on a solid surface, lean your head forward so you don't choke on the blood, and pinch your nose shut for at least 10 minutes."

Question 8

A patient visits the industrial nurse after an accident on the factory floor, which has amputated three toes.What is the most effective nursing intervention for the amputated toes?

A) Rinsing with normal saline and placing on a sterile towel
B) Placing toes as they are on ice in a sterile container
C) Placing the unwrapped toes in a saline bath
D) Placing the saline-wrapped toes in a plastic bag in a saline bath

Question 9

Six hours after a beach picnic on a hot afternoon, a young man enters the emergency department with nausea and vomiting, headache, and diarrhea.On interview, the patient says that he ate potato salad and tuna fish sandwiches.What should the nurse suspect is the causative organism for these symptoms?

A) Clostridium botulinum
B) Clostridium perfringens
C) Salmonella
D) Staphylococcus aureus

Question 10

A patient is present with signs of severe airway obstruction.What term accurately describes the high-pitched noise the patient is exhibiting with inhalation?

A) Stridor
B) Tachypnea
C) Wheezing
D) Rhonchi

Question 11

While ambulating, a patient gasps and drops to the floor unconscious with no pulse or respiration.When is the nurse aware that brain cells begin to die?

A) 1 minute
B) 2 minutes
C) 3 minutes
D) 4 minutes

Question 12

A nurse who is assisting victims of an automobile collision has already placed a towel secured with a belt on a bleeding leg wound.What action should the nurse take when the towel becomes saturated?

A) Do nothing.
B) Remove the towel and use the belt as a tourniquet.
C) Remove the towel and place the victim's jacket over the wound and secure it.
D) Reinforce the towel with the victim's jacket.

Question 13

A nurse follows the protocol of SAMPLE when speaking to a victim of a fall in the parking lot of the hospital.What does the P stand for?

A) Pills taken today
B) Personal physician
C) Past illnesses
D) Preference for emergency transportation

Question 14

What will the nurse giving discharge instructions to a patient who is severely allergic to insect stings caution the patient to do?

A) Wear bright colors to repel insects.
B) Apply perfume liberally as a protection.
C) Dress in sleeveless, easily removeable garments.
D) Obtain an emergency treatment kit.

Question 15

While at the local pool on an extremely hot day, a nurse is called on to care for a woman who has evidently developed heat exhaustion.What is the initial nursing care for this person?

A) Obtain vital signs.
B) Move the patient into an air-conditioned or shaded area.
C) Give her several glasses of ice water.
D) Cover her with a wet towel.

Question 16

A nurse comes upon a traffic accident where injured, unconscious people are lying on the highway.What should the nurse be aware of regarding the sanctioning of first-aid interventions in this scenario?

A) Good Samaritan Law
B) Emergency Care Doctrine
C) Fifth Amendment
D) Liability Protection against Malpractice Act

Question 17

A mother brings in her 2-year-old who has ingested gasoline 1 hour earlier.What should the nurse implement following the initial assessment?

A) Prepare to administer syrup of ipecac.
B) Turn the patient on his or her stomach to induce vomiting.
C) Prepare to administer Milk of Magnesia.
D) Prepare to administer bowel lavage and cathartics.

Question 18

A patient is admitted to the emergency department after having been bitten on the hand by a black widow spider.Which nursing intervention should the nurse initiate?

A) Monitor for respiratory distress.
B) Wrap the hand in a warm compress.
C) Seat the patient upright in a chair.
D) Elevate the patient's hand above his or her heart.

Question 19

A nurse is called on to assist a neighbor who needs first aid.What should the nurse know is the legal responsibility for this action?

A) Is legally bound to help in any way possible.
B) Is expected to demonstrate the same skill, knowledge, and care that would be provided by other nurses in the same community with the same credentials.
C) Has no legal responsibilities outside the hospital setting and would be held accountable for nothing.
D) Can legally perform any aid skill, even those not allowed the nurse in the hospital.

Question 20

Standing in a fast-food line, the person in front, while munching on a cookie, begins to cough heavily, takes deep inspirations, and waves his arms around wildly.What should be the nurse's first action?

A) Start rescue breathing as quickly as possible.
B) Start chest compressions as quickly as possible.
C) Perform abdominal thrusts.
D) Do nothing at this point as long as air is exchanged.

Question 21

A young man is staggering out of a partially closed doorway to a garage, where a car is running inside.He speaks slowly in a very low voice, telling the nurse that he fell asleep in the car with the engine running.What is the immediate action?

A) Ask the person to lie flat right where he is; begin rescue breathing.If the nurse sees anyone else, the nurse should ask the individual to call someone who knows CPR.
B) Lead the patient away from the garage and call for help.Stay with the patient and continually assess level of consciousness and respirations.
C) Have the patient lie flat.Keep the patient still and call for help.
D) Have the patient breathe deeply and continually into a brown paper bag.Assess pulse, respirations, and color of conjunctiva.Check the patient's pockets for a cellphone to call 9-1-1.

Question 22

A patient is brought to the emergency department having had a rock chip embedded in the right eye.What should be the nurse's initial action?

A) Turn the patient to the left side and prepare to remove the chip.
B) Flush the right eye with normal saline.
C) Keep the patient flat.
D) Cover both eyes.

Question 23

A nurse in the emergency department knows that tissue damage has probably occurred in a person with hypothermia when a rectal temperature of _____ $\degree$ F is assessed.(Use numeric characters only.)

Question 24

A nurse has assessed the patient with a left-sided head injury and records this information: decreasing level of consciousness; slow pupillary response on the right side; blood pressure, 167/80 mm Hg; previous blood pressure, 160/72 mm Hg; and gradually decreasing respiratory and pulse rates.The nurse is aware that these assessments are indicators of increased ______.(Use the full name, not the acronym.)

Question 25

What should the emergency department nurse anticipate on the initial assessment of a patient with carbon monoxide poisoning?

A) Blood pressure will be low.
B) Oxygen saturation will be low.
C) Mucous membranes will be blue.
D) Respirations will be less than 10 breaths/min.

Question 26

A hospital visitor cuts herself on the arm and is bleeding profusely.What should be the immediate treatment by the nurse?

A) Call any physician and immediately send the visitor to the emergency department.
B) Apply direct pressure to the arm with sterile dressing.
C) Take the visitor's blood pressure and pulse.
D) Immobilize the injured arm and send the visitor immediately to the emergency department.