Correct Answer: A

Rationale: The priority nursing intervention for a client with a tracheostomy on mechanical ventilation is to suction the tracheostomy as needed. Suctioning is essential to maintain a clear airway and prevent respiratory distress. While ensuring tracheostomy ties are secure (choice B) is important, it is not as urgent as airway maintenance. Providing humidified oxygen (choice C) is beneficial but does not address the immediate need for airway clearance. Cleaning exudate around the tracheostomy site (choice D) is important for hygiene but takes precedence over ensuring airway patency through suctioning.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Position the client in a high-Fowler's position during meals. Placing the client in a high-Fowler's position (sitting upright at a 90-degree angle) helps reduce the risk of aspiration by ensuring that the airway is protected during swallowing. This position facilitates easier swallowing and decreases the likelihood of food or liquids entering the respiratory tract. Encouraging the client to drink water between meals (choice A) does not directly address the risk of aspiration during meals. Providing thickened liquids (choice C) may be necessary for some patients with dysphagia but is not the most important intervention to prevent aspiration. Allowing the client to eat quickly (choice D) without proper positioning and precautions can increase the risk of aspiration.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber should be reported to the healthcare provider immediately. This finding may indicate an air leak, which can compromise the effectiveness of the chest tube in re-expanding the lung. Absence of drainage in the collection chamber (choice B) may signify that the chest tube is blocked, but it does not pose an immediate threat to the client's condition. Tidaling in the water seal chamber (choice C) is an expected finding and indicates proper functioning of the chest tube system. Presence of subcutaneous emphysema around the insertion site (choice D) suggests air leakage but is not as urgent as continuous bubbling in the water seal chamber.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: Providing frequent oral care is crucial when a client is NPO to ensure comfort and prevent drying of the oral mucosa. In this situation, the priority is maintaining oral hygiene to prevent complications such as oral mucosa breakdown. Monitoring bowel sounds may be important in assessing bowel activity, but it is not the priority when the client is NPO due to a small bowel obstruction. Encouraging ambulation can be beneficial for other conditions, but in this case, oral care takes precedence. Measuring abdominal girth is more relevant for assessing abdominal distention, which is not the priority when the client is NPO. Therefore, the most important nursing intervention is to provide frequent oral care.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct angle of insertion for a subcutaneous injection, such as heparin, is 45 degrees. This angle is appropriate as it helps to ensure proper delivery of the medication into the subcutaneous tissue. Option A (15 degrees) is too shallow for a subcutaneous injection and may result in the medication being deposited into the muscle. Option B (30 degrees) is also too shallow for subcutaneous injections. Option D (90 degrees) is used for intramuscular injections, not subcutaneous injections.