RNSG 1413 Tarrant County College -RNSG 1413 - Exam 1
Questions | 2026/2027 | Answers Correct | With Complete
Solutions
Discuss how to apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Basic Human
Needs during nursing care.
1. physiological (base)
2. safety and security
3. love and belonging
4. self-esteem
5. self-actualization (apex)
Physiological needs (air, toileting, food, water, shelter) must be
met first. Process progresses upward. If patient can't breathe, he
won't love or be feeling loved long.
Differentiate between nursing diagnoses, medical diagnoses, and
collaborative problems.
Nursing Diagnosis - statement of client health status that nurses
can identify, prevent or treat independently
Medical Diagnosis - describes a disease, illness, or injury
Collaborative Problem - managed using physician and nurse
prescribed interventions
Explain the difference between an actual and at-risk problem
Actual - the problem IS present
At Risk - the problem MAY occur
,Differentiate between short-term and long-term goals.
Short term - Hours or days
Long term - One week or more
Define the term nursing intervention.
Actions nurses perform that help achieve optimal client
outcomes. Scientific principles provide the rationale for nursing
interventions.
(Scientific principles: clinical judgments and nursing
knowledge)
• Treatments that nurses perform (1) in response to the nursing
diagnosis (2) for the purpose of achieving client outcomes
Interventions are also referred to as nursing actions, measures,
strategies, and activities
Describe factors that affect bowel elimination.
Age:
Infants - Breast milk stools = watery and yellow-brown. /
Formula stools = pasty and brow.
Toddlers - Bowel control at 2-3 years of age
Adolescents - Increased secretion of gastric acids / accelerated
growth of large intestine
Older adults - Decreased peristalsis / relaxation of sphincters
Diet:
,Fiber requirement - 25-38 g/day
* Difficulty digesting foods (lactose intolerance) can cause
watery stools
* Certain foods can increase gas (cabbage, cauliflower, apples)/
have a laxative effect (figs, chocolate)/ or increase the risk for
constipation (pasta, cheese, eggs)
Fluid intake:
Fluid requirement - 2L/day females, 3L/day males from fluid
and food sources.
Physical activity - Stimulates intestinal activity and increases
skeletal muscle tone needed for defecation.
Psychosocial factors:
Emotional distress - increases peristalsis and exacerbates
chronic conditions (colitis, Crohn's disease, ulcers, irritable
bowel syndrome).
Depression - can lead to decreased peristaltic activity and
constipation.
Personal habits - Reluctance to use public toilets/ false
perception of the need for 'one-a-day' bowel movements/ lack of
privacy when hospitalized
Positioning:
Normal - Squatting
Immobility - Can result in difficulty contracting gluteal muscles
and defecating.
, Pain: Normal defecation is painless.
Discomfort due to conditions (hemorrhoids, fissures, perianal
surgery) can lead to suppression of the urge to defecate.
Opioid use - contributes to constipation.
Pregnancy:
Growing fetus - compromises intestinal space
Slower peristalsis
Straining - increases risk of hemorrhoids
Surgery and anesthesia - Temporary slowing of intestinal
activity (rational for auscultating bowel sounds before
advancing diet.)
Medications:
Laxatives - soften stool
Cathartics - promote peristalsis
Laxative overuse - chronic use of laxatives causes a weakening
of the bowel's expected response to distention from feces,
resulting in the development of chronic constipation.
Explain how each part of the nursing process is potentially
impacted by a nurse's ability to use both basic and complex
critical thinking skills.
assessment - critical thinking allows the nurse to sort through
what is and is not relevant during an assessment
Analysis - critical thinking allows the nurse to recognize
Questions | 2026/2027 | Answers Correct | With Complete
Solutions
Discuss how to apply Maslow's Hierarchy of Basic Human
Needs during nursing care.
1. physiological (base)
2. safety and security
3. love and belonging
4. self-esteem
5. self-actualization (apex)
Physiological needs (air, toileting, food, water, shelter) must be
met first. Process progresses upward. If patient can't breathe, he
won't love or be feeling loved long.
Differentiate between nursing diagnoses, medical diagnoses, and
collaborative problems.
Nursing Diagnosis - statement of client health status that nurses
can identify, prevent or treat independently
Medical Diagnosis - describes a disease, illness, or injury
Collaborative Problem - managed using physician and nurse
prescribed interventions
Explain the difference between an actual and at-risk problem
Actual - the problem IS present
At Risk - the problem MAY occur
,Differentiate between short-term and long-term goals.
Short term - Hours or days
Long term - One week or more
Define the term nursing intervention.
Actions nurses perform that help achieve optimal client
outcomes. Scientific principles provide the rationale for nursing
interventions.
(Scientific principles: clinical judgments and nursing
knowledge)
• Treatments that nurses perform (1) in response to the nursing
diagnosis (2) for the purpose of achieving client outcomes
Interventions are also referred to as nursing actions, measures,
strategies, and activities
Describe factors that affect bowel elimination.
Age:
Infants - Breast milk stools = watery and yellow-brown. /
Formula stools = pasty and brow.
Toddlers - Bowel control at 2-3 years of age
Adolescents - Increased secretion of gastric acids / accelerated
growth of large intestine
Older adults - Decreased peristalsis / relaxation of sphincters
Diet:
,Fiber requirement - 25-38 g/day
* Difficulty digesting foods (lactose intolerance) can cause
watery stools
* Certain foods can increase gas (cabbage, cauliflower, apples)/
have a laxative effect (figs, chocolate)/ or increase the risk for
constipation (pasta, cheese, eggs)
Fluid intake:
Fluid requirement - 2L/day females, 3L/day males from fluid
and food sources.
Physical activity - Stimulates intestinal activity and increases
skeletal muscle tone needed for defecation.
Psychosocial factors:
Emotional distress - increases peristalsis and exacerbates
chronic conditions (colitis, Crohn's disease, ulcers, irritable
bowel syndrome).
Depression - can lead to decreased peristaltic activity and
constipation.
Personal habits - Reluctance to use public toilets/ false
perception of the need for 'one-a-day' bowel movements/ lack of
privacy when hospitalized
Positioning:
Normal - Squatting
Immobility - Can result in difficulty contracting gluteal muscles
and defecating.
, Pain: Normal defecation is painless.
Discomfort due to conditions (hemorrhoids, fissures, perianal
surgery) can lead to suppression of the urge to defecate.
Opioid use - contributes to constipation.
Pregnancy:
Growing fetus - compromises intestinal space
Slower peristalsis
Straining - increases risk of hemorrhoids
Surgery and anesthesia - Temporary slowing of intestinal
activity (rational for auscultating bowel sounds before
advancing diet.)
Medications:
Laxatives - soften stool
Cathartics - promote peristalsis
Laxative overuse - chronic use of laxatives causes a weakening
of the bowel's expected response to distention from feces,
resulting in the development of chronic constipation.
Explain how each part of the nursing process is potentially
impacted by a nurse's ability to use both basic and complex
critical thinking skills.
assessment - critical thinking allows the nurse to sort through
what is and is not relevant during an assessment
Analysis - critical thinking allows the nurse to recognize
