ATI RN
Critical Care Nursing Cardiac Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
A patient with terminal cancer reports a sudden onset of severe pain. Which intervention should the nurse implement first?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Assess the patient’s pain using a standardized pain scale. The first step is to assess the severity and nature of the pain to determine the appropriate intervention. This allows the nurse to understand the pain intensity and characteristics, which guides the choice of analgesic and dosing. Administering analgesics (B) without proper assessment can lead to inappropriate treatment. Notifying the healthcare provider (C) is important but assessing the pain should come first. Repositioning the patient (D) may provide comfort but addressing the pain directly is the priority.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse cares for an adolescent patient who is dying. The patient’s parents are interested in organ donation and ask the nurse how the decision about brain death is made. Which response by the nurse is most appropriate?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Brain death has occurred if there is no breathing and certain reflexes are absent. Brain death is defined as the irreversible cessation of all functions of the entire brain, including the brainstem. The absence of breathing and certain reflexes, such as no response to painful stimuli or no pupillary response to light, are key indicators of brain death. This definition is crucial for determining eligibility for organ donation. Incorrect choices: A: Brain death occurs if a person is flaccid and unresponsive. Flaccidity and unresponsiveness are not specific criteria for diagnosing brain death. B: If CPR is ineffective in restoring a heartbeat, the brain cannot function. The absence of a heartbeat alone does not indicate brain death. D: If respiratory efforts cease and no apical pulse is audible, brain death is present. Respiratory cessation and the absence of pulse are not definitive signs of brain death.
Question 3 of 5
A hospice patient develops a pressure ulcer despite proper repositioning. What should the nurse include in the care plan?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A because implementing more aggressive wound care strategies is essential for managing pressure ulcers effectively. This includes proper wound cleaning, debridement, and dressing changes to promote healing. Adequate hydration and nutrition (choice B) are important but may not directly address the pressure ulcer. Discussing prognosis and expected outcomes (choice C) is important but may not directly impact wound healing. Encouraging increased physical activity (choice D) may be contraindicated due to the patient's condition.
Question 4 of 5
Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing practice?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN). This organization focuses exclusively on critical care nursing, offering specialized education, resources, and certifications for critical care nurses. AACN advocates for high standards of care in critical care settings. The other choices do not specifically cater to critical care nursing practice. The American Heart Association focuses on cardiovascular health, the American Nurses Association is a general nursing organization, and the Society of Critical Care Medicine is more physician-centric. Therefore, A is the best choice for supporting critical care nursing practice.
Question 5 of 5
The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient ass ignments on the critical care unit. She assigns the experienced, certified nurse to care for thea abicrbu.cteomly/t eisltl patient diagnosed with sepsis who also requires continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. She assigns the nurse with less than 1 year of experience to two patients who are more stable. This assignment reflects implementation of what guiding framework?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Synergy model of practice. The Synergy model emphasizes matching nurse competencies with patient needs for optimal outcomes. In this scenario, the charge nurse assigned the experienced, certified nurse to a complex patient requiring specialized care (sepsis, renal replacement therapy, ventilation), aligning with the model's principle of matching nurse expertise to patient acuity. Assigning the less experienced nurse to stable patients aligns with the model's focus on optimizing patient outcomes by matching nurse competencies appropriately. A: Crew resource management model focuses on teamwork and communication to enhance safety, not specifically on nurse-patient assignments. B: National Patient Safety Goals are broad guidelines for improving patient safety, not specific to nurse-patient assignments. C: Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model focuses on integrating quality and safety competencies into nursing education, not specifically on nurse-patient assignments.