Question 1

The nursing assistant finds a client in bed in supine position with labored respirations and sweating profusely. Which action should the nursing assistant perform first?

Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant (NA) should first sit the client up in the bed in a forward-leaning position using pillows on the overbed table. This fully expands the chest and helps the client to breathe easier. Then the NA can call for additional help from the nurse and take vital signs, which the NA will report to the nurse upon arrival to the client's room. The NA's last priority of the actions listed would be to provide comfort by changing damp linens and gown. First actions are geared toward helping the client to breathe and helping the client get the care needed, so the client's condition can stabilize.

Question 2

A risk factor for heart disease that can be controlled includes:

Accepted Answer

Uncontrolled hypertension is a risk factor for heart disease that can be changed through medication, diet, and exercise. The other options are unchangeable.

Question 3

A person diagnosed with angina pectoris will likely experience chest pain when:

Accepted Answer

Angina pectoris is the classic chest pain that is felt as a result of the heart muscle being deprived of oxygen. Some people describe it as a pain in the center of the chest. Others experience pain that starts in the chest and extends to the arm or neck. A person who is experiencing angina may feel as though he or she is suffocating. The other options are not usually triggers for angina.

Question 4

The nursing assistant is caring for a client diagnosed with angina pectoris experiencing chest pain. The client asks the nursing assistant who has had training to hand them one of their nitroglycerin tablets. What action should the nursing assistant take?

Accepted Answer

The drug can be absorbed through the skin, which can cause a decrease in blood pressure and a pounding headache, so the nursing assistant should wear gloves to take a nitroglycerin tablet out of the bottle and hand it to the client to place under their tongue. Trying to shake or flip a tablet out of the bottle may end up dispensing more than one tablet. Trying to flip a tablet out of a bottle under the tongue of a mouth would contaminant the contents of the bottle with moisture and germs.

Question 5

What kind of treatment is usually given to a person with heart failure?

Accepted Answer

For people with heart failure, medications may be used to help increase the heart's ability to pump more effectively and to pull excess fluids from the tissues. When the heart is in failure or has the inability to pump blood efficiently in the body, damage is done, which may not be reversed by surgery to correct a heart defect or open a narrowed vessel. If the heart failure is severe, a heart transplant may be needed. The pacemaker is implanted to electrically stimulate the heart muscle to contract. Heart failure affects the pumping action of the heart.

Question 6

A stroke is usually caused by:

Accepted Answer

A stroke, also known as a "brain attack" or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when blood flow to a part of the brain is completely blocked, causing the tissue to die. Unlike a TIA, a stroke causes permanent effects, because the obstruction of blood flow lasts long enough for the brain tissue to die or become damaged. A stroke affects the brain not the heart. Neither emotional nor physical stress is likely to trigger a stroke.

Question 7

The nursing assistant is caring for a client diagnosed with a stroke with severe right-sided hemiplegia. What is the best action for the nursing assistant to take?

Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant (NA)'s best action is to observe for skin breakdown on the paralyzed right side of the client's body. The client with severe hemiplegia (one-sided paralysis) cannot move or feel sensations, so the client does not feel discomfort after lying in one position for too long. The NA must be careful when repositioning the client to use proper body alignment and pillow supports to prevent the client lying incorrectly, leading to a decrease in circulation to the skin and tissues. The NA should support limbs when repositioning the client to prevent damage to the joints. Massaging the skin over the paralyzed areas will not help feeling to return. The client needs help moving because of being paralyzed on one side of their body. It is inappropriate for the NA to explain that the client needs to move on their own.

Question 8

Which term is used to describe the condition of a person who is no longer able to understand the meaning of words following a stroke?

Accepted Answer

Receptive aphasia is caused by damage to the area of the brain that allows the person to understand words. The person can speak clearly but no longer knows the meaning of the words. For example, a person with receptive aphasia may say "no" when meaning "yes." Expressive aphasia is the inability to form words. Hemiplegia is muscle weakness or paralysis on one side of the body. Dementia is a problem with one's memory.

Question 9

A client walks with a shuffling, leaning gait, and it is hard for the client to stop suddenly when walking. This is characteristic of:

Accepted Answer

The signs and symptoms listed are characteristic of Parkinson disease. Dementia affects one's memory; a stroke leaves a variety of disabilities that involve muscle, memory, and speech. Aphasia is the inability to speak effectively.

Question 10

Which event(s) can cause brain damage? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Brain damage can occur from events that cause a person to stop breathing for a long period of time, such as near drowning, drug overdose, or choking as well as head trauma from a fall. A broken neck may cause spinal cord injury but not brain damage.

Question 11

An injury to the spinal cord in the neck area can result in:

Accepted Answer

An injury to the spinal cord in the neck area can result in quadriplegia (paralysis from the neck down), because nerve impulses are not able to travel past the neck. Paraplegia is a result of injury further down the spinal cord. Hemiplegia is a result of brain cell death on one side of the brain. Lou Gehrig disease (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a nerve disorder.

Question 12

Which condition is characterized by a gradual yellowing and hardening of the lens of the eye?

Accepted Answer

A cataract is the gradual yellowing and hardening of the lens of the eye. The lens becomes opaque, eventually preventing light from passing through to the retina. The person's vision becomes cloudy as the cataract worsens. An infection is usually a temporary situation that is a result of bacterial or viral presence and doesn't affect the hardening of the lens. Glaucoma involves the increase in intraocular pressure and blindness is the loss of vision.

Question 13

When caring for a client who is blind, the nursing assistant should:

Accepted Answer

When caring for a client who is blind, it is important to leave the door either completely open or completely closed. If the door is left only partially open, the client may feel for the edge of the door, think it is all the way open, and run into the edge. Unless the client is hearing impaired as well as vision impaired, there is no need to raise the voice when talking. Many blind people appreciate the nursing assistant's ability to share descriptions of what the nursing assistant sees; therefore, the assistant should not avoid describing the environment. Asking about the extent of the blindness can help the nursing assistant to better plan the client's care.

Question 14

Which would the nursing assistant immediately report to the nurse when caring for a resident with type 1 diabetes mellitus? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

Signs and symptoms of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are often very similar and should be reported to the nurse immediately. These signs include excessive hunger and thirst; weakness, dizziness, or both; drowsiness and confusion; shaking and increased perspiration; rapid pulse and low blood pressure; headache; nausea and vomiting; slow, labored respirations with sweet-smelling breath; frequent urination; convulsions; and loss of consciousness. Constipation is not related to diabetes.

Question 15

The client admitted to the hospital with type I diabetes suddenly develops the following signs and symptoms: cool, clammy, and sweating; blurred vision; shakiness; and confused. Which action should the nursing assistant implement first?

Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant (NA) quickly determines that the resident is exhibiting signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia and should stay with the client and call the nurse for additional help. The client is experiencing confusion so the client may not be able to tell the NA the time of the insulin dose or last meal or snack. The nurse arrives to assess the client, and the NA can obtain the fingerstick blood sugar following the policy and then follow the institution protocol for a low blood sugar by providing a snack. If the client loses consciousness, the nurse is there to provide an emergency dose of dextrose intravenously.

Question 16

The nursing assistant is told that the new resident has been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. The nursing assistant expects that the resident will:

Accepted Answer

Hyperthyroidism is characterized by increased hunger, weight loss, an irregular heartbeat, an inability to sleep, irritability, confusion, sweating, and intolerance to heat.

Question 17

A person with cancer involving the digestive system is likely to have which sign(s) and symptom(s)? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

A person's signs and symptoms vary depending on the location of the cancerous tumor. A person with cancer involving the digestive system may have one or more of the following signs and symptoms: loss of appetite, indigestion, pain, vomiting, constipation not diarrhea, changes in bowel movements, or blood in the stool.

Question 18

The nursing assistant is caring for a client diagnosed with a kidney stone. What is the best action for the nursing assistant to take?

Accepted Answer

The best action for the nursing assistant to take when caring for a client diagnosed with a kidney stone is to encourage the client to drink plenty of noncaffeinated drinks to help dilute the urine and help the stone to pass. Caffeinated drinks quickly go through the urinary system and do not hydrate or increase the fluid to help the stone to pass. The client will receive pain meds as ordered, but the goal is not to promote sleep but decrease pain so the client may increase movement with assistance to help the stone to pass. Straining the urine is used to collect stone fragments so that they may be sent to the lab for analysis to determine the specific type of kidney stone so specific treatment goals may be provided by the primary care provider.

Question 19

Which may be an early sign of endometrial cancer?

Accepted Answer

An early sign of endometrial cancer is postmenopausal bleeding, uterine bleeding that occurs after a woman has completed menopause. Genital warts are not known to relate to endometrial cancer. A lump may be felt in the case of breast cancer. Hormonal imbalances are often causes of infertility that lead to difficulty becoming pregnant.

Question 20

Which sexually transmitted infections (STIs), if left untreated, can result in pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)?

Accepted Answer

Gonorrhea is a bacterial infection. Because the infection may not be detected and treated for some time, the bacterium can travel to the fallopian tubes and into the abdominal cavity, resulting in a condition called PID. The other options have other complications but usually not PID.

Quiz 8: Common Disorders