MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
BRUNNER & SUDDARTH’S MEDICAL
SURGICAL NURSING 15TH EDITION | ALL 68
CHAPTERS WITH ANSWER KEYS AT END OF
EACH CHAPTER
The nurse transcribes the postoperative prescriptions for a client who returns to the unit
following surgery and notes that an antihypertensive medication that was prescribed
preoperatively is not listed. Which action should the nurse take?
A. Consult with the pharmacist about the need to continue the medication.
B. Administer the antihypertensive medication as prescribed preoperatively.
JOYCEWWALES 1
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
C. Withhold the medication until the client is fully alert and vital signs are stable.
D. Contact the health care provider to renew the prescription for the medication. –
Correct Answer :Answer: D
Medications prescribed preoperatively must be renewed postoperatively, so the nurse should
contact the health care provider if the antihypertensive medication is not included in the
postoperative prescriptions (D). The pharmacist (A) does not prescribe medications or renew
prescriptions. The nurse must have a current prescriptions before administering any
medications (B and C).
After a needlestick occurs while removing the cap from a sterile needle, which action should
the nurse implement?
A. Complete an incident report.
B. Select another sterile needle.
C. Disinfect the needle with an alcohol swab.
D. Notify the supervisor of the department immediately. –
Correct Answer :Answer: B
After a needlestick, the needle is considered used, so the nurse should discard it and select
another needle (B). Because the needle was sterile when the nurse was stuck and the needle
was not in contact with any other person's body fluids, the nurse does not need to complete
an incident report (A) or notify the occupational health nurse (D). Disinfecting a needle with
an alcohol swab (C) is not in accordance with standards for safe practice and infection
control.
A client has a nasogastric tube connected to low intermittent suction. When administering
medications through the nasogastric tube, which action should the nurse do first?
JOYCEWWALES 2
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
A. Clamp the nasogastric tube.
B. Confirm placement of the tube.
C. Use a syringe to instill the medications.
D. Turn off the intermittent suction device. –
Correct Answer :Answer: D
The nurse should first turn off the suction (D) and then confirm placement of the tube in the
stomach (B) before instilling the medications (C). To prevent immediate removal of the
instilled medications and allow absorption, the tube should be clamped for a period of time
(A) before reconnecting the suction.
During evacuation of a group of clients from a medical unit because of a fire, the nurse
observes an ambulatory client walking alone toward the stairway at the end of the hall. Which
action should the nurse take?
A. Assign an unlicensed assistive personnel to transport the client via a wheelchair.
B. Remind the client to walk carefully down the stairs until reaching a lower floor.
C. Ask the client to help by assisting a wheelchair-bound client to a nearby elevator.
D. Open the closest fire doors so that ambulatory clients can evacuate more rapidly. –
Correct Answer :Answer: B
During evacuation of a unit because of fire, ambulatory clients should be evacuated via the
stairway if at all possible and reminded to walk carefully (B). Ambulatory clients do not require
the assistance of a wheelchair to be evacuated (A). Elevators (C) should not be used during a
fire and fire doors should be kept closed (D) to help contain the fire.
JOYCEWWALES 3
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
When the health care provider diagnoses metastatic cancer and recommends a gastrostomy
for an older female client in stable condition, the son tells the nurse that his mother must not
be told the reason for the surgery because she "can't handle" the cancer diagnosis. Which
legal principle is the court most likely to uphold regarding this client's right to informed
consent?
A. The family can provide the consent required in this situation because the older adult is in no
condition to make such decisions.
B. Because the client is mentally incompetent, the son has the right to waive informed
consent for her.
C. The court will allow the health care provider to make the decision to withhold informed
consent under therapeutic privilege.
D. If informed consent is withheld from a client, health care providers could be found guilty of
negligence. –
Correct Answer :Answer: D
Health care providers may be found guilty of negligence (D), specifically assault and battery, if
they carry out a treatment without the client's consent. The client's condition is stable, so (A)
is not a valid rationale. Advanced age does not automatically authorize the son to make all
decisions for his mother, and there is no evidence that the client is mentally incompetent (B).
Although (C) may have been upheld in the past, when paternalistic medical practice was
common, today's courts are unlikely to accept it.
During a clinic visit, the mother of a 7-year-old reports to the nurse that her child is often
awake until midnight playing and is then very difficult to awaken in the morning for school.
Which assessment data should the nurse obtain in response to the mother's report?
A. The occurrence of any episodes of sleep apnea
B. The child's blood pressure, pulse, and respirations
C. Length of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that the child is experiencing
JOYCEWWALES 4
NURSING
BRUNNER & SUDDARTH’S MEDICAL
SURGICAL NURSING 15TH EDITION | ALL 68
CHAPTERS WITH ANSWER KEYS AT END OF
EACH CHAPTER
The nurse transcribes the postoperative prescriptions for a client who returns to the unit
following surgery and notes that an antihypertensive medication that was prescribed
preoperatively is not listed. Which action should the nurse take?
A. Consult with the pharmacist about the need to continue the medication.
B. Administer the antihypertensive medication as prescribed preoperatively.
JOYCEWWALES 1
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
C. Withhold the medication until the client is fully alert and vital signs are stable.
D. Contact the health care provider to renew the prescription for the medication. –
Correct Answer :Answer: D
Medications prescribed preoperatively must be renewed postoperatively, so the nurse should
contact the health care provider if the antihypertensive medication is not included in the
postoperative prescriptions (D). The pharmacist (A) does not prescribe medications or renew
prescriptions. The nurse must have a current prescriptions before administering any
medications (B and C).
After a needlestick occurs while removing the cap from a sterile needle, which action should
the nurse implement?
A. Complete an incident report.
B. Select another sterile needle.
C. Disinfect the needle with an alcohol swab.
D. Notify the supervisor of the department immediately. –
Correct Answer :Answer: B
After a needlestick, the needle is considered used, so the nurse should discard it and select
another needle (B). Because the needle was sterile when the nurse was stuck and the needle
was not in contact with any other person's body fluids, the nurse does not need to complete
an incident report (A) or notify the occupational health nurse (D). Disinfecting a needle with
an alcohol swab (C) is not in accordance with standards for safe practice and infection
control.
A client has a nasogastric tube connected to low intermittent suction. When administering
medications through the nasogastric tube, which action should the nurse do first?
JOYCEWWALES 2
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
A. Clamp the nasogastric tube.
B. Confirm placement of the tube.
C. Use a syringe to instill the medications.
D. Turn off the intermittent suction device. –
Correct Answer :Answer: D
The nurse should first turn off the suction (D) and then confirm placement of the tube in the
stomach (B) before instilling the medications (C). To prevent immediate removal of the
instilled medications and allow absorption, the tube should be clamped for a period of time
(A) before reconnecting the suction.
During evacuation of a group of clients from a medical unit because of a fire, the nurse
observes an ambulatory client walking alone toward the stairway at the end of the hall. Which
action should the nurse take?
A. Assign an unlicensed assistive personnel to transport the client via a wheelchair.
B. Remind the client to walk carefully down the stairs until reaching a lower floor.
C. Ask the client to help by assisting a wheelchair-bound client to a nearby elevator.
D. Open the closest fire doors so that ambulatory clients can evacuate more rapidly. –
Correct Answer :Answer: B
During evacuation of a unit because of fire, ambulatory clients should be evacuated via the
stairway if at all possible and reminded to walk carefully (B). Ambulatory clients do not require
the assistance of a wheelchair to be evacuated (A). Elevators (C) should not be used during a
fire and fire doors should be kept closed (D) to help contain the fire.
JOYCEWWALES 3
, MEDICAL-SURGICAL 09/27/2026
NURSING
When the health care provider diagnoses metastatic cancer and recommends a gastrostomy
for an older female client in stable condition, the son tells the nurse that his mother must not
be told the reason for the surgery because she "can't handle" the cancer diagnosis. Which
legal principle is the court most likely to uphold regarding this client's right to informed
consent?
A. The family can provide the consent required in this situation because the older adult is in no
condition to make such decisions.
B. Because the client is mentally incompetent, the son has the right to waive informed
consent for her.
C. The court will allow the health care provider to make the decision to withhold informed
consent under therapeutic privilege.
D. If informed consent is withheld from a client, health care providers could be found guilty of
negligence. –
Correct Answer :Answer: D
Health care providers may be found guilty of negligence (D), specifically assault and battery, if
they carry out a treatment without the client's consent. The client's condition is stable, so (A)
is not a valid rationale. Advanced age does not automatically authorize the son to make all
decisions for his mother, and there is no evidence that the client is mentally incompetent (B).
Although (C) may have been upheld in the past, when paternalistic medical practice was
common, today's courts are unlikely to accept it.
During a clinic visit, the mother of a 7-year-old reports to the nurse that her child is often
awake until midnight playing and is then very difficult to awaken in the morning for school.
Which assessment data should the nurse obtain in response to the mother's report?
A. The occurrence of any episodes of sleep apnea
B. The child's blood pressure, pulse, and respirations
C. Length of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep that the child is experiencing
JOYCEWWALES 4
