Medical Tests CEN Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

Medical Tests CEN Online Questions & Answers

• Question 141:

  Your patient complains that they have been feeling faint when they attempt to get out of bed in the morning. They have been taking thioridazine hydrochloride (Mellaril). What side effect is this patient experiencing?

  A. Psychosomatic disorder
  B. Cardiac dysrhythmia
  C. Respiratory insufficiency
  D. Postural hypotension
  D. Postural hypotension

  ---

  The patient is experiencing postural hypotension. Thioridazine hydrochloride (Mellaril) is an antipsychotic medication that frequently causes postural hypotension. The patient needs to be taught to rise from bed slowly to prevent harm from this medication.

• Question 142:

  You are caring for a patient who has been displaying aggressive behavior. You observe that his behavior seems to be escalating. Which intervention by the nurse would be least helpful to this patient?

  A. Acknowledge the patient's behavior.
  B. Maintain a safe distance from the patient.
  C. Assist the patient to a quiet environment.
  D. Initiate confinement measures.
  D. Initiate confinement measures.

  ---

  Initiating confinement measures would be least helpful to this patient. The patient is moving toward loss of control. During this phase the nurse want to take control, maintain a safe distance, acknowledge the patient's behavior, move the patient to a quiet area and medicate if necessary. Initiating confinement would be appropriate during the crisis period.

• Question 143:

  You are planning the assignment for the day. Which of the following would be the most appropriate assignment for the nursing assistant?

  A. A patient receiving a continuous tube feeding
  B. A patient who needs a urine culture sent to laboratory
  C. A patient who needs a colostomy changed
  D. A patient who is having problems swallowing
  B. A patient who needs a urine culture sent to laboratory

  ---

  The most appropriate assignment for the nursing assistant would be a urine culture collection for the laboratory. The nurse must choose the most appropriate assignment for each staff member on the unit. In this case the nursing assistant should have the appropriate skills to collect urine and send it to the laboratory.

• Question 144:

  You are caring for an infant with a diagnosis of sepsis. Which is the priority assessment for this infant?

  A. Skin integrity
  B. Temperature
  C. Jaundice
  D. Respiratory function
  D. Respiratory function

  ---

  The priority assessment would be respiratory function. The infant's airway should always be the priority. The other choices are all symptoms of sepsis that the nurse would also want to assess.

• Question 145:

  After a tonsillectomy, your patient begins to vomit. What intervention should be your priority?

  A. Administer an antiemetic
  B. Turn the patient to the side
  C. Notify the physician
  D. Maintain the patient's "nothing by mouth" status
  B. Turn the patient to the side

  ---

  Your first priority should be to turn the patient on the side to prevent aspiration. Only then should you notify the physician. It is also important to continue to maintain the "nothing by mouth" feeding status of the patient and give antiemetic if prescribed.

• Question 146:

  You are caring for a child who is going to have a tonsillectomy. Which of the following laboratory results would you want to check preoperatively?

  A. Prothrombin time
  B. Sedimentation rate
  C. Blood urea nitrogen
  D. Creatinine
  A. Prothrombin time

  ---

  The nurse would want to check the prothrombin time preoperatively and report any abnormal results to the surgeon. The tonsillar area is very vascular, which can increase the patient's chance of bleeding. If the prothrombin time is not adequate, the patient could bleed to death.

• Question 147:

  You are caring for a child in burn shock. Which of the following assessments indicates the child is getting adequate fluid resuscitation?

  A. Skin turgor
  B. Edema at burn sites
  C. Peripheral pulses
  D. Neurological assessment
  D. Neurological assessment

  ---

  The neurological assessment would be the most accurate indication of adequate fluid resuscitation. Burns do not affect neurological status, and the child should be alert and oriented. If for any reason the child is not, then further investigation would be necessary.

• Question 148:

  Your patient has been involuntarily admitted the hospital. He has been scheduled for electroconvulsive therapy. The nurse knows that:

  A. Informed consent is not necessary.
  B. The family will need to sign informed consent.
  C. The patient will need to sign informed consent.
  D. The physician will need to sign informed consent.
  C. The patient will need to sign informed consent.

  ---

  The patient will still need to sign the informed consent for the therapy. The patient is still considered legally competent until declared otherwise. Patients who are admitted involuntarily do not lose their right to informed consent unless they are declared incompetent; then the consent falls to the next of kin.

• Question 149:

  You are caring for an older patient who is on complete bedrest. What interventions would you take to prevent respiratory complications?

  A. Monitoring vital signs routinely
  B. Decreasing oral fluid intake
  C. Turning the patient every two hours
  D. Instructing the patient to bear down every hour and hold their breath
  C. Turning the patient every two hours

  ---

  The patient should be turned every two hours to prevent respiratory complications. This helps to mobilize lung secretions and prevent pooling. The patient would be encouraged to drink more fluids to thin secretions. Cough and deep breathing exercise would be encouraged to promote mobilization of secretions. Vital signs would be taken every four hours to insure that no temperature had developed, which would indicate pneumonia.

• Question 150:

  You are caring for the child who has had a tonsillectomy. The physician has written postoperative orders. Which of the following orders would the nurse question?

  A. Clear, cool liquids when awake
  B. No milk or milk products
  C. Monitor for bleeding
  D. Suction every 2 hours
  D. Suction every 2 hours

  ---

  You would not want to suction a patient who just had a tonsillectomy. Suction equipment should be available at bedside in case of airway obstruction. Otherwise, a patient would not be suctioned due to the risk of trauma to the oropharynx. All other orders listed are appropriate for this patient.