Question 1

The most important reason for a student nurse to prepare adequately before providing patient care is to

Accepted Answer

Student nurses are legally and ethically responsible for giving the same safe nursing care that nurses provide. Avoidance of arousing the anger of the instructor is not a valid reason. The remaining options are not the most important reasons.

Question 2

The member of the health care team responsible for performing treatments to assist the patient to breathe more efficiently and effectively is the

Accepted Answer

Respiratory therapists are responsible for evaluating patient respiratory status and suggesting treatment to prevent or treat respiratory problems. The health care team members mentioned in the other options do not focus on patient breathing.

Question 3

Select the person or persons who may be included on the physical therapy team. (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

Strictly speaking, the physical therapy team includes only those individuals who have education in physical therapy. Nurses may assist the patient to perform exercises to provide continuity of care when members of the physical therapy team are not present.

Question 4

Which care delivery method has the greatest potential for fragmenting patient care?

Accepted Answer

The functional method of care delivery assigns various nursing team members to provide specific aspects of care to the patient. The RN might give medications and provide health teaching, the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) might provide hygiene, the LPN/LVN might take vital signs and change a dressing, lab personnel might draw blood specimens, and so on. Primary nursing provides the least fragmentation. With the case method, one nurse is responsible for most of the patient care. Patient-focused care attempts to limit fragmentation by using cross-trained personnel.

Question 5

The role of the LPN/LVN in the health care team is best described as

Accepted Answer

The LPN/LVN functions interdependently by providing care according to the established plan, collecting data, and offering input to the RN about the effectiveness of care and suggestions for care improvement. Only the RN provides care independently. Advanced practice refers to a nurse with specialized education, skills, and certification. Decentralized is not a term used to describe the LPN/LVN role.

Question 6

The LPN/LVN describes herself as "working in an expanded role in a long-term care facility." What is the most correct interpretation of this statement?

Accepted Answer

The expanded role of the LPN/LVN in long-term care occurs in the role of manager of care. The LPN/LVN may be a first-line manager, supervising care given by LPN/LVNs and unlicensed assistive personnel while being directly responsible to the RN nurse manager. Oral medication administration is part of the traditional role. Formulation of nursing diagnoses and care plans and interpreting and implementing research findings are outside the LPN/LVN role. The LPN/LVN assists in implementing research findings.

Question 7

Which member of the health care team is responsible for initially teaching a patient about medication side effects?

Accepted Answer

The RN initiates all health teaching. This would include education about medication effects and side effects. The LPN/LVN is able to initiate health teaching only for basic health habits, such as cleanliness. Occupational therapists and patient care technicians are not qualified to undertake medication teaching.

Question 8

The aspect of functioning that distinguishes RNs from LPN/LVNs is that only RNs

Accepted Answer

LPN/LVNs function interdependently rather than independently. The LPN/LVN functions under the supervision of the RN. The LPN/LVN is able to perform the remaining options.

Question 9

Which statement best describes the relationship between the student nurse assigned to a hospital unit for clinical experience and the unit staff?

Accepted Answer

Student nurses are not counted as clinical staff when receiving clinical experience on a unit. They are supervised by instructors, and their objective is to apply classroom theory in selected clinical situations. It is not an expectation that a student be under direct supervision of the nurse manager. Students are not unit employees. It is not a usual practice for practical nursing students to form a nursing team of their own and not be a part of the larger unit team on the clinical unit.

Question 10

How should the nurse accurately describe a nurse practitioner to a student nurse?

Accepted Answer

The nurse practitioner has a minimum of a master's degree in nursing and certification in an area of specialization, such as primary care, geriatrics, pediatrics, and so on. The other options do not accurately describe the nurse practitioner's education or role.

Question 11

The goal of the health care team is best described as

Accepted Answer

Restoring optimal physical, emotional, and spiritual health to patients is a frequently used statement that describes the goal of health care. Prevention of communicable diseases is a narrow statement and does not best describe the goal of the health care team. The remaining options are not goals of the health care team.

Question 12

The case method of care delivery is used on the surgical unit. The LPN/LVN asks what this means regarding work assignments. The best answer would be

Accepted Answer

Case method calls for a nurse to provide complete care to several patients. Stable patients are generally assigned to LPN/LVNs. Performance of specific nursing tasks for a number of patients, such as taking vital signs, doing simple dressings, and so on, describes the team method of care delivery. Provision of daily total care for several patients from admission to discharge describes primary care nursing that utilizes only RN staff. Cross-training to be assigned as unit secretary, venipuncturist, or to nursing duties describes patient-focused nursing.

Question 13

Select the method of delivering nursing care that facilitates continuity of care, individualizes care, and fosters 24-hour accountability for patient care.

Accepted Answer

This care delivery method utilizes RNs only. Each primary nurse cares for six patients from admission to discharge, developing the nursing diagnoses and plans of care and assuming ultimate responsibility for 24-hour care, although associate nurses may actually provide care when the primary nurse is not on duty.

Question 14

A student nurse asks, "What determines the LPN/LVN's role and responsibilities in the practice setting?" The best answer is

Accepted Answer

The LPN/LVN's role is determined by the Nurse Practice Act of the state in which the nurse is working. The Nurse Practice Act differs from state to state but generally allows LPN/LVNs to provide care in basic and complex patient situations under the general supervision of an RN, physician, podiatrist, or dentist. The other options are not determinants of scope of practice.

Question 15

A nurse describes the method of care delivery on a unit as "using nursing staff in varying ratios to meet patient needs and coordinating care using care pathways." This best describes

Accepted Answer

Nursing case management care delivery uses critical paths to coordinate cost-effective care provided by nursing team members from a variety of educational backgrounds. The description of the care delivery method does not match any of the other care delivery methods mentioned in the options.

Question 16

Nursing management and executive roles include which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

Accepted Answer

The four levels of nursing management include supervisor, nurse manager, director, and chief nursing officer (CNO). Charge nurse is not considered a level of nursing management.

Question 17

Which groups are members of a nursing team?

Accepted Answer

RNs, LPN/LVNs, and nursing assistants are members of the nursing team who have been cross-trained to perform selected nursing tasks. The groups listed in the other options are not considered part of the nursing team.

Question 18

An LPN/LVN offers input to the RN about the effectiveness of the patient's care plan. By doing this, the LPN/LVN is functioning in an

Accepted Answer

Interdependence calls for the LPN/LVN to provide input and feedback to the RN planning and evaluating care for a specific patient.

Question 19

The member of the health care team responsible for assisting patients to arrange for community agencies to provide services after discharge is the

Accepted Answer

The social worker explores needs identified by discharge plans and works with community agencies to meet these patient needs.

Question 20

The role of the LPN/LVN can best be described as which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Initiating health teaching, working in an independent role, and initiating all phases of the nursing process are roles of the RN. An RN initiates all health teaching; an LPN/LVN initiates health teaching for basic health habits and reinforces the health teaching of the RN in other areas. An RN works in an independent role; an LPN/LVN identifies possible new nursing problems and reports them to the RN. An RN initiates all phases of the nursing process and formulates nursing diagnoses; an LPN/LVN assists with all phases of the nursing process and works with established nursing diagnoses.

Quiz 15: The Health Care Team: Where the Practicalvocational Nurse Fits in