What is the purpose of using a warm compress on a patient's sore muscles?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A warm compress increases blood flow and relaxes sore muscles by dilating blood vessels, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the area, and easing tension. This promotes healing and reduces stiffness, common in patients with muscle soreness from immobility or injury. Inducing sleep might be a byproduct of relaxation, but it's not the primary aim. Cooling the area requires a cold compress, not warm, and is used for different purposes like reducing swelling. Minimizing repositioning isn't relevant warmth targets muscle relief, not positioning needs. Nurses apply this intervention to enhance comfort and support recovery, leveraging heat's physiological benefits effectively.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Applying elastic stockings in the morning ensures they're put on before dependent edema worsens from gravity, maximizing their role in promoting venous return and preventing clots. Rolling them down to the ankles negates their purpose full leg coverage is key. Tightness matters, but fit must be correct, not excessive, to avoid constriction. Loose stockings fail to compress adequately, reducing effectiveness. Nurses time this intervention when swelling is minimal, aligning with circulatory needs and enhancing patient comfort and safety throughout the day.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A footboard maintains proper alignment of the legs and feet by preventing foot drop where toes point downward from prolonged bed rest preserving dorsiflexion and reducing contracture risk. Comfort might improve indirectly, but alignment is the goal. Restricting movement isn't accurate it prevents deformity, not mobility itself. Decoration is irrelevant; it's functional. Nurses position it to support the soles, countering gravity's pull on immobile patients, ensuring long-term musculoskeletal health and aiding future ambulation.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Respecting the patient's cultural preferences and privacy ensures dignity and comfort during hygiene tasks, acknowledging beliefs (e.g., modesty) and personal boundaries. Prioritizing nurse convenience neglects patient-centered care, reducing trust. Weekly hygiene risks infection and discomfort daily care is standard. Speeding through sacrifices quality and sensitivity, potentially distressing the patient. Nurses ask about preferences, use privacy measures like curtains, and adapt techniques, balancing hygiene needs with respect, a key aspect of culturally competent, compassionate care.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: A gait belt provides stability and support during ambulation by giving the nurse a secure grip to steady or catch a patient, reducing fall risk without limiting steps. Restricting movement isn't the goal it aids, not hinders, walking. Encouraging unassisted walking defeats its purpose; it's for support. Lifting off the ground misuses it belts assist, not hoist. Nurses fasten it snugly around the waist, using it to guide safely, enhancing mobility confidence in weak or unsteady patients.