Correct Answer: B

Rationale: When a health care provider orders a medication with a dosage significantly higher than usual, the nurse's initial action should be to question the provider and verify the dose. This is crucial to ensure patient safety and prevent medication errors. Administering the medication as ordered (Choice A) without clarification could potentially harm the patient if there was an error in the prescription. Administering half the dosage as a precaution (Choice C) is not a safe practice as it deviates from the prescribed order. Refusing to administer the medication without clarification (Choice D) is important, but the first step should be to seek clarification from the provider to prevent any unnecessary delays in patient care.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Check the tube placement before administering any medication. Before administering medication through a nasogastric tube, the nurse must first verify the tube's correct placement to ensure the medication reaches the stomach and to prevent complications such as aspiration. Options A, C, and D are incorrect because administering medication without confirming proper tube placement can lead to serious consequences for the client.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: The correct action for the nurse to take first is to report the behavior to the supervisor. Proper hand hygiene is essential in preventing the spread of infections in healthcare settings. By reporting the observed behavior to the supervisor, the nurse is prioritizing patient safety and promoting a culture of accountability. Ignoring the behavior (Choice A) can put patients at risk, discussing it with other colleagues (Choice B) may not address the issue effectively, and confronting the colleague directly (Choice C) might not be the most appropriate initial step and could lead to conflicts rather than a constructive resolution.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Teaching the patient to select nutritious foods. A nutritious diet plays a crucial role in strengthening the body's immune system, making it more capable of fighting off infections. Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients found in healthy foods support immune function and overall health. Teaching the patient about taking a temperature (choice A) may be important for monitoring for signs of infection but does not directly decrease the risk of infection. Teaching about the effects of alcohol (choice C) and fall prevention (choice D) are important aspects of patient education but are not directly related to decreasing the risk of infection in a susceptible patient.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A fever of 101°F is the most concerning finding when assessing a postoperative patient for signs of infection. Fever can indicate an inflammatory response to an infection, and in a postoperative patient, it can signal a surgical site infection or a systemic infection. Prompt attention is necessary to prevent complications such as sepsis. Mild redness at the incision site and increased drainage can be expected in the early postoperative period due to the normal healing process. A normal white blood cell count does not rule out infection as it can be influenced by various factors, and some infections may not initially cause a rise in white blood cells.