NCLEX-RN
Saunders NCLEX RN Practice Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A physician has written an order for '2.0 mg MS q 2-4 hr prn pain.' What is the nurse's appropriate response to this order?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The physician's order contains several errors that could lead to potential harm to the client if not addressed. The use of '2.0' involves a trailing decimal point, which may lead to confusion regarding the intended dose of the drug. Additionally, the abbreviation 'MS' is considered a Do Not Use abbreviation by the Joint Commission, as it could refer to morphine sulfate or magnesium sulfate, leading to medication errors. While the order indicates the drug should be used for pain, the nurse should contact the physician to clarify the exact dose and specific drug to be administered, ensuring safe and accurate medication administration. Therefore, the correct response is to contact the physician to rewrite the order.
Question 2 of 5
A client is refusing to undergo any more treatments in the hospital and wants to leave against medical advice. When the nurse requests the client to sign an AMA order, the client refuses and leaves. What is the next action of the nurse?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The nurse cannot force the client to stay in the hospital to receive treatment or to sign an AMA order. It is essential to respect the client's autonomy and decision-making capacity. While involving security or pressuring the client through the physician or spouse may seem like options, they are not appropriate in this situation. The nurse should allow the client to leave if they are competent to make that decision, document the refusal in the client's chart to ensure all actions are appropriately documented, and follow institutional policies for patients leaving against medical advice.
Question 3 of 5
Which example best describes a nurse who exhibits moral courage?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Moral courage involves taking action to do what is right, even when there might be negative consequences. The nurse who contacted a physician for further orders acted as a client advocate to seek help, even though she may have faced consequences such as lost time, decreased productivity, or criticism from the physician. Choices A, B, and D do not directly involve advocating for a client's needs or challenging a situation that goes against ethical standards. Feeling angry, seeking help for personal issues, or being frustrated with work processes do not necessarily demonstrate moral courage in the context of nursing practice.
Question 4 of 5
Which method is most appropriate for managing moral distress in the workplace?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Moral distress involves negative feelings or frustration toward situations that are deemed unfair, unethical, or that cause the nurse to feel helpless in their work. It can lead to nurse burnout when ongoing issues are not resolved. The most appropriate method for managing moral distress is to develop new policies that address the problematic situations. By creating policies, nurses can work towards changing current standards and reducing the number of situations that lead to moral distress. Choices A and B are incorrect because recognizing life's unfairness and not taking action on unjustifiable requests do not actively address the root causes of moral distress or work towards resolving the issues.
Question 5 of 5
A nurse is required to float to another unit within the hospital where he is asked to care for a client on a ventilator. The nurse is uncomfortable with this assignment, as he has not had a ventilated client since nursing school. What is the nurse's most appropriate response?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: When floating to another unit and asked to take an assignment that falls outside a nurse's comfort zone, the nurse should notify the area supervisor of the level of discomfort and request a different assignment. Caring for ventilated clients typically falls within the scope of nursing practice; however, discomfort with the situation may not necessarily be overcome by accepting the assignment. Alternatively, the effects could be harmful to the client if the nurse is unfamiliar with this type of care. Requesting a different assignment is the most appropriate response in this situation, ensuring patient safety and the nurse's comfort level. Stating that the client's needs are outside the nurse's scope of practice (Choice B) may not be accurate, as caring for ventilated clients usually falls within the scope of nursing practice. Accepting the assignment (Choice C) without addressing the discomfort may compromise patient safety. Requesting to return to the home unit (Choice D) does not address the immediate need of caring for the ventilated client and may delay appropriate care.