NCLEX-RN
NCLEX RN Exam Preview Answers Questions
Extract:
Question 1 of 5
During an office visit, the healthcare provider is assessing a patient's skin. What part of the hand and technique would be used to best assess the patient's skin temperature?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is the dorsal surface of the hand. The dorsa (backs) of the hands and fingers are best for determining temperature because the skin is thinner on the dorsal surfaces than on the palms. Fingertips are best for fine, tactile discrimination and not for assessing skin temperature. The ulnar and palmar surfaces of the hands are not as effective for assessing skin temperature as the dorsal surface because they have thicker skin layers.
Question 2 of 5
The healthcare provider is preparing to use an otoscope for an examination. Which statement is true regarding the otoscope?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The otoscope is a tool used to examine the ear canal and tympanic membrane, which separates the external and middle ear. It is not intended to direct light into the sinuses or examine the internal structures of the ear. The otoscope typically uses a short, narrow speculum to aid in visualizing the ear canal and tympanic membrane, not a short, broad speculum as mentioned in choice C.
Question 3 of 5
When percussing over the abdomen of an obese patient, the nurse is unable to identify any changes in sound. What would the nurse do next?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: When percussing an obese patient's abdomen, the thickness of their body wall can affect the sound produced. A stronger percussion stroke is needed for obese or very muscular patients. The force of the blow determines the loudness of the note. Asking the patient to take deep breaths, considering the finding as normal, or decreasing the strength used are not appropriate actions in this scenario.
Question 4 of 5
Which action is appropriate for the nurse to delegate to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Labeling specimens obtained during a percutaneous lung biopsy is a task that can be appropriately delegated to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) as it does not require nursing judgment. UAP can perform this task safely under the supervision of a nurse. Listening to a patient's lung sounds for wheezes or rhonchi, instructing a patient about how to use home spirometry testing, and measuring induration at the site of a patient's intradermal skin test all require nursing judgment and interpretation of findings. These tasks should be performed by licensed nursing personnel to ensure accurate assessment and appropriate intervention.
Question 5 of 5
After a symptom is recognized, the first effort at treatment is often self-treatment. Which of the following statements is true about self-treatment?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: After a symptom is identified, the first effort at treatment is often self-treatment. The availability of over-the-counter medications, the relatively high literacy level of Americans, and the influence of the internet and mass media in communicating health-related information to the general population have contributed to the high percentage of cases of self-treatment. Health care providers are recognizing the value of a wide variety of alternative, complementary, and traditional interventions. Many self-treatments, such as over-the-counter medications, are effective. Self-treatment is not always less expensive.
Choice A is incorrect as health care providers are recognizing the value of self-treatment.
Choice B is incorrect because self-treatment can be effective in many cases.
Choice C is incorrect as self-treatment is not always less expensive; it depends on the specific treatment being used.