A recently licensed registered nurse is preparing to enter practice in an acute care facility and wants to practice within the guidelines of that state. When preparing to research the state nurse practice act, what information is important to obtain?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: State nurse practice acts are critical legal frameworks that govern nursing practice within each jurisdiction, ensuring safe and competent care. For a newly licensed registered nurse, understanding the definition of the legal scope of nursing practice is essential, as it outlines what nurses are authorized to do, including specific tasks, responsibilities, and limitations in an acute care setting. Equally important is the definition of key terms related to nursing, which clarifies concepts like licensure, delegation, and accountability, helping the nurse navigate their role legally and ethically. While the NCLEX content is vital for licensure, it's a national exam and not state-specific. Knowing the members of the state board of nursing might be useful for context but isn't directly relevant to daily practice guidelines. The nurse practice act provides the foundational rules for compliance, protecting both the nurse and the public by setting clear professional boundaries and expectations.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Primary prevention aims to promote health and stop disease before it starts, a key nursing role at health fairs. Family planning services educate on contraception, preventing unintended pregnancies a proactive health step. Accident prevention education, like teaching helmet use, averts injuries, targeting safety before incidents. Heart-healthy nutrition services promote diets reducing cardiovascular risk, fostering wellness pre-disease. Skin cancer screening, though vital, is secondary prevention, detecting issues early, not preventing onset. Rehabilitation for back pain is tertiary, managing existing conditions. These primary activities planning, safety, nutrition empower communities with knowledge and habits to sidestep illness, aligning with nursing's preventive focus, leveraging education to build health resilience before crises emerge.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Tertiary prevention optimizes life with a chronic illness, reducing its impact post-diagnosis. Teaching strategies for living with it like pacing activities for arthritis helps the client adapt, minimizing disability and enhancing function, a nursing priority. Screening for depression is secondary, detecting new issues, not managing the existing one. An annual flu vaccine is primary, preventing unrelated illness, not addressing the chronic condition's effects. Educating about transmission fits infectious cases, not all chronic ones. This intervention tailored coping reflects nursing's role in rehabilitation, ensuring clients thrive despite limits. For instance, teaching a heart failure client fluid management cuts readmissions, aligning with tertiary care's focus on sustaining quality of life through practical, illness-specific support.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Non-selective beta-adrenergic blockers (e.g., propranolol) inhibit the sympathetic nervous system's effects on beta₁ (heart) and beta₂ (lungs, vessels) receptors. The mechanism sequence is: (1) Beta₁ and beta₂ receptor sites are blocked (C), (2) Epinephrine and norepinephrine actions are blocked (B), (3) Heart rate and blood pressure are decreased (A), (4) Cardiac workload and oxygen demand decreases (D). Blocking beta receptors (C) is the initial step, preventing catecholamines (B) from binding, which reduces heart rate and vasoconstriction (A), ultimately lowering myocardial oxygen demand (D). Incorrect sequencing, like starting with heart rate reduction, skips the pharmacological basis. The CSV requires one answer, so C is chosen as the foundational step. Rationale: Beta blockade directly inhibits receptor activation, a primary action taught in pharmacology education, leading to downstream effects critical for conditions like hypertension or angina, ensuring nurses understand the drug's systemic impact.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), a rare tracheostomy complication, involves an abnormal connection between trachea and esophagus. Aspiration of gastric contents during suctioning (B) is a definitive sign, indicating esophageal leakage into the airway. Frequent suctioning (A) or excessive secretions (D) are nonspecific. Pink skin (C) reflects good oxygenation, not TEF. B is correct. Rationale: TEF allows gastric contents to enter the trachea, detected during suctioning, requiring urgent intervention like tube adjustment or surgery, distinct from routine secretion issues, per critical care nursing.