Which of the following clinical finding indicates the patient is experiencing hypokalemia?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Hypokalemia (low potassium) impairs intestinal motility, causing abdominal distention from gas or ileus. Edema relates to fluid imbalance, muscle spasms to hypocalcemia, and Kussmaul breathing to acidosis not potassium. Nurses assess for distention, weakness, or arrhythmias, correcting levels to restore gastrointestinal and muscular function, vital for patient stability.

Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Maslow's hierarchy prioritizes physiological needs (e.g., breathing) over safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization. Ineffective breathing pattern, evidenced by shortness of breath, threatens oxygenation a fundamental survival need making it the highest priority. Pain-induced respiratory distress could escalate to hypoxia, requiring immediate action like repositioning or oxygen support. Anxiety, while distressing, is a psychological need, lower on Maslow's scale unless it impairs breathing (not indicated here). Risk of injury is a safety concern, important but not immediate unless actualized. Impaired communication affects social interaction, even lower priority, manageable with alternative methods. Breathing's critical role in sustaining life places this diagnosis at the top, demanding swift nursing response to stabilize the patient before addressing less urgent needs, aligning with Maslow's foundational logic.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: A profession, like nursing, is characterized by altruism (serving others selflessly), autonomy (independent practice within scope), and formal education (structured training, e.g., degrees). Concern with quantity and earnings, however, prioritizes output and profit over service quality, clashing with nursing's ethos of patient-centered care. Professions emphasize expertise and ethics nurses aim for outcomes like recovery, not quotas. Altruism drives nurses to prioritize patient needs, autonomy allows clinical decisions (e.g., care plans), and education ensures competence. Quantity and earnings might describe business, not professions, where quality trumps volume. This misfit makes it the attribute least aligned with professional traits, distinguishing nursing's service orientation from commercial goals.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Blood transfusions must conclude within 4 hours because blood, once removed from refrigeration, risks bacterial growth if left at room temperature too long. Red cells, plasma, and platelets become susceptible to contamination (e.g., from IV lines), potentially causing sepsis. Breakdown of components (e.g., hemolysis) occurs over days, not hours, less urgent than infection risk. Coagulation isn't immediate post-4 hours; it's a slower process unless clotted pre-transfusion. Evaporation isn't plausible blood is sealed in bags. The 4-hour limit, per transfusion standards (e.g., AABB), balances delivery with safety, prioritizing bacterial proliferation prevention, making this the primary reason in nursing practice.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The stomach fits this description as a digestive organ for food storage.