ATI LPN
Perioperative Care NCLEX Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
The nurse is caring for a patient on postoperative day 1 following a laminectomy. The patient reports numbness in both legs. What should the nurse do first?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 2 of 5
A client has developed malignant hyperthermia. The clients potassium is 6.5 mEq/L. What action by the nurse takes priority?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 3 of 5
A client has a great deal of pain when coughing and deep breathing after abdominal surgery despite having pain medication. What action by the nurse is best?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Failed to generate a rationale of 500+ characters after 5 retries.
Question 4 of 5
The nurse is caring for a patient who is scheduled for a lobectomy for a diagnosis of lung cancer. While assisting with a subclavian vein central line insertion, the nurse notes the clients oxygen saturation rapidly dropping. The patient complains of shortness of breath and becomes tachypneic. The nurse suspects a pneumothorax has developed. Further assessment findings supporting the presence of a pneumothorax include what?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: A pneumothorax, a collapsed lung from air in the pleural space, disrupts normal lung expansion, leading to distinct assessment findings. Diminished or absent breath sounds on the affected side occur because air cannot enter the collapsed lung segment, reducing or eliminating audible airflow during auscultation. This is a classic sign, especially post-procedure like central line insertion, which risks pleural puncture. Paradoxical chest wall movement is specific to flail chest, where multiple rib fractures cause a segment to move oppositely during breathing, not a simple pneumothorax. Sudden loss of consciousness might indicate severe hypoxia or tension pneumothorax but isn't a primary sign. Muffled heart sounds suggest pericardial tamponade, a cardiac issue unrelated to pneumothorax. The nurse's observation of respiratory distress and absent breath sounds strongly supports pneumothorax, warranting immediate intervention like chest tube insertion.
Question 5 of 5
The school nurse is presenting a class on smoking cessation at the local high school. A participant in the class asks the nurse about the risk of lung cancer in those who smoke. What response related to risk for lung cancer in smokers is most accurate?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Lung cancer risk in smokers is heavily influenced by the age of smoking initiation, with earlier exposure amplifying cumulative damage to lung tissue. Starting young extends the duration of carcinogen exposure (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), increasing DNA mutations and oncogenic potential, as evidenced by higher incidence in lifelong smokers who began in adolescence. Risk does decrease after cessation dropping significantly within 10-15 years contradicting the notion of permanent risk or mandatory annual X-rays, which aren't standard for all ex-smokers. Cigarette type (e.g., tar, nicotine levels) matters, but pack-years and initiation age outweigh this factor. Other risk factors (e.g., radon, genetics) contribute but are secondary to smoking's dose-dependent effect. The nurse's accurate response educates students on the preventable, time-sensitive nature of this risk, reinforcing cessation's protective impact.