When working as a licensed vocational nurse, you determine that your client scheduled for surgery does not understand the physician's earlier explanation of the surgery. The client is asking many questions about the risks and seems worried. Which of the following actions would be best on your part?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: When a client scheduled for surgery shows a lack of understanding and expresses concern, notifying the physician is the best action for a licensed vocational nurse. The physician, as the primary decision-maker and the one obtaining informed consent, has the responsibility to ensure the client fully comprehends the procedure, risks, and benefits. The nurse's role is to facilitate communication and advocate for the client's needs, not to independently explain complex medical details outside their scope or cancel the surgery, which exceeds their authority. Asking the supervising RN might help, but it delays direct resolution by the physician, who is legally accountable for ensuring consent is informed. This approach upholds the nurse's duty to prioritize client understanding and safety while respecting professional boundaries and legal standards.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Dating and signing each chart entry is most essential, establishing a legal timeline and accountability for actions. Fixed intervals aren't mandatory, pens ensure permanence but aren't the priority, and crossing out errors risks misinterpretation. This practice validates care, crucial for nursing documentation integrity.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Continuous abnormal lung sounds are charted as adventitious, encompassing wheezes or rubs, unlike intermittent crackles or rales. Pleural rub is specific. Nurses document this for respiratory evaluation.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: An athlete undergoing knee surgery likely tolerates pain best, motivated by career goals, unlike chronic arthritis, cancer grief, or migraines. Nurses consider this in pain management.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Immobility often increases anxiety and depression risk, as patients face mobility loss, dependence, and isolation, fostering psychological distress. Motivation and independence typically wane with restricted activity, while depression risk rises, not falls, due to these constraints. Nurses address this through emotional support and engagement, understanding that mental health declines when physical freedom is curtailed. This effect highlights the need for holistic care, blending physical interventions with psychological support to mitigate the emotional toll of immobility on patients.