MEDICAL-SURGICAL RN A PROPHECY RELIAS WITH QUESTIONS
AND ANSWERS
1.2 milligrams is equal to how many micrograms? - -1200 mcg
-A female patient requests a female nurse to provide care for her based on her religious beliefs. What is
the MOST appropriate action to take? - -Accommodate her request if possible.
-A patient has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her responses are caustic and abrasive.
What is the BEST way to respond? - -Acknowledge her feelings, understanding this is expected in the
grieving process.
-A patient on warfarin (Coumadin/Jantoven) has an INR of 6. Which medication would you anticipate
administering? - -Vitamin K
-A patient with acute diverticulitis is MOST likely to complain of abdominal pain with what quadrant? - -
Left lower quadrant
-A patient with peritonitis presents with tachycardia, hypotension, and dehydration. What other
assessment finding would you anticipate as part of your physical assessment? - -Severe abdominal pain
or rebound tenderness
-An older adult patient arrives on the unit looking emaciated, disheveled, and with soiled clothes. The
patient claims that his daughter cares for him at home. What would you suspect? - -Neglect
-As you are walking down the hallway you overhear your colleague discussing her personal family issues
with a patient. What would be the MOST appropriate response? - -Remind her later of her responsibility
for establishing and maintaining professional boundaries with patients.
-Black and tarry colored stools are CLASSIC symptoms of what condition? - -Bleeding gastric ulcer
-Central Telemetry calls and tells you your patient is experiencing bradycardia. What is the first thing
you should do after entering the room? - -Assess the patient and take vital signs.
-Digoxin (Lanoxin) 125 mcg is equivalent to how many mg? - -0.125mg
-Fifteen minutes after starting a blood transfusion, the patient complains of lower back pain, shortness
of breath, and chills. What is your FIRST action? - -Stop the tranfusion.
-If your patient with a known history of diabetes is displaying symptoms of diaphoresis, cool skin,
lethargy, and shakiness. What is your first action? - -Check the patient's blood glucose level.
-In addition to pain, pallor, and pulselessness, a neurovascular assessment also includes checking for: - -
Paresthesia and paralysis
, -Insulin lispro (Humalog) is orders via sliding scale a.c. for your patient with diabetes. When is the best
time to administer insulin lispro (Humalog)? - -15 min before the meal arrives
-patient arrives on unit. you do an assessment and notice lice in her hair. what is your first action? - -
Secure a private room
-Patient presents dusky pallor and pulseless. First action - -Initiate facility code procedure
-Patients with diabetes are at high risk for complications from damage to what body areas? - -Nerve and
kidney damage
-The dosage of which drug must be tapered down slowly to prevent acute adrenal insufficiency? - -
Prednisone
-The patient has diltiazem HCl (Cardizem CD) ordered and is requesting the capsule be mixed into her
morning yogurt. How should you respond? - -"Sorry, it is a slow-release medication that cannot be
opened or crushed."
-The provider gives you a telephone order to explain a surgical procedure to your patient and obtain
surgical consent. How should you respond? - -Inform the provider that explaining the procedure is
outside the nurse's scope of practice.
-The provider orders a Heparin infusion of 900 units/hr. Your IV medication on hand has 25,000 units of
Heparin in 500 mL of D5W. How many mL/hr will you infuse? - -18 mL/hr
-The provider orders and IV infusion of D5W 1000 mL to infuse over the next 6 hours. How many mLs
per hour should the IV pump be set to? - -167 mL/hr
-The provider orders Heparin 4 units/kg SQ. Your patient weighs 176 pounds. How many units should
you administer? - -320 units
-To reduce the risk of infection and phlebitis in an adult patient with a peripheral IV, what is the
MINIMUM duration the catheter should remain in place before ROUTINE replacement? - -72 hours
-Two days after surgery, your 72-year-old patient is showing signs of agitation and confusion, which is
not his baseline. The severity fluctuates throughout the day. His medications include hydromorphone
(Dilaudid), amlodipine (Norvasc), alprazolam (Xanax), and carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet). What
condition do you MOST likely suspect? - -Delirium
-Upon entering your patient's room, you note that they are having a seizure. What is your FIRST action? -
-Position the patient on their side to maintain the airway.
-Upon entry to your patient's room, you find her sitting in High Fowler's position and complaining of
shortness of breath. Her respiratory rate is 34 breaths/min and O2 sat is 84%. Which mode of oxygen
delivery would MOST likely reverse these symptoms? - -Non-rebreather mask
-What condition (not medication related) might cause an elevation in the patients PT/INR level? - -Liver
disease
AND ANSWERS
1.2 milligrams is equal to how many micrograms? - -1200 mcg
-A female patient requests a female nurse to provide care for her based on her religious beliefs. What is
the MOST appropriate action to take? - -Accommodate her request if possible.
-A patient has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her responses are caustic and abrasive.
What is the BEST way to respond? - -Acknowledge her feelings, understanding this is expected in the
grieving process.
-A patient on warfarin (Coumadin/Jantoven) has an INR of 6. Which medication would you anticipate
administering? - -Vitamin K
-A patient with acute diverticulitis is MOST likely to complain of abdominal pain with what quadrant? - -
Left lower quadrant
-A patient with peritonitis presents with tachycardia, hypotension, and dehydration. What other
assessment finding would you anticipate as part of your physical assessment? - -Severe abdominal pain
or rebound tenderness
-An older adult patient arrives on the unit looking emaciated, disheveled, and with soiled clothes. The
patient claims that his daughter cares for him at home. What would you suspect? - -Neglect
-As you are walking down the hallway you overhear your colleague discussing her personal family issues
with a patient. What would be the MOST appropriate response? - -Remind her later of her responsibility
for establishing and maintaining professional boundaries with patients.
-Black and tarry colored stools are CLASSIC symptoms of what condition? - -Bleeding gastric ulcer
-Central Telemetry calls and tells you your patient is experiencing bradycardia. What is the first thing
you should do after entering the room? - -Assess the patient and take vital signs.
-Digoxin (Lanoxin) 125 mcg is equivalent to how many mg? - -0.125mg
-Fifteen minutes after starting a blood transfusion, the patient complains of lower back pain, shortness
of breath, and chills. What is your FIRST action? - -Stop the tranfusion.
-If your patient with a known history of diabetes is displaying symptoms of diaphoresis, cool skin,
lethargy, and shakiness. What is your first action? - -Check the patient's blood glucose level.
-In addition to pain, pallor, and pulselessness, a neurovascular assessment also includes checking for: - -
Paresthesia and paralysis
, -Insulin lispro (Humalog) is orders via sliding scale a.c. for your patient with diabetes. When is the best
time to administer insulin lispro (Humalog)? - -15 min before the meal arrives
-patient arrives on unit. you do an assessment and notice lice in her hair. what is your first action? - -
Secure a private room
-Patient presents dusky pallor and pulseless. First action - -Initiate facility code procedure
-Patients with diabetes are at high risk for complications from damage to what body areas? - -Nerve and
kidney damage
-The dosage of which drug must be tapered down slowly to prevent acute adrenal insufficiency? - -
Prednisone
-The patient has diltiazem HCl (Cardizem CD) ordered and is requesting the capsule be mixed into her
morning yogurt. How should you respond? - -"Sorry, it is a slow-release medication that cannot be
opened or crushed."
-The provider gives you a telephone order to explain a surgical procedure to your patient and obtain
surgical consent. How should you respond? - -Inform the provider that explaining the procedure is
outside the nurse's scope of practice.
-The provider orders a Heparin infusion of 900 units/hr. Your IV medication on hand has 25,000 units of
Heparin in 500 mL of D5W. How many mL/hr will you infuse? - -18 mL/hr
-The provider orders and IV infusion of D5W 1000 mL to infuse over the next 6 hours. How many mLs
per hour should the IV pump be set to? - -167 mL/hr
-The provider orders Heparin 4 units/kg SQ. Your patient weighs 176 pounds. How many units should
you administer? - -320 units
-To reduce the risk of infection and phlebitis in an adult patient with a peripheral IV, what is the
MINIMUM duration the catheter should remain in place before ROUTINE replacement? - -72 hours
-Two days after surgery, your 72-year-old patient is showing signs of agitation and confusion, which is
not his baseline. The severity fluctuates throughout the day. His medications include hydromorphone
(Dilaudid), amlodipine (Norvasc), alprazolam (Xanax), and carbidopa-levodopa (Sinemet). What
condition do you MOST likely suspect? - -Delirium
-Upon entering your patient's room, you note that they are having a seizure. What is your FIRST action? -
-Position the patient on their side to maintain the airway.
-Upon entry to your patient's room, you find her sitting in High Fowler's position and complaining of
shortness of breath. Her respiratory rate is 34 breaths/min and O2 sat is 84%. Which mode of oxygen
delivery would MOST likely reverse these symptoms? - -Non-rebreather mask
-What condition (not medication related) might cause an elevation in the patients PT/INR level? - -Liver
disease
