1. The Patient: A 65-year- old male.
The Situation: The family brings the patient to the emergency room because he just
took an entire bottle of pills.
The Question: What action should the nurse take first?
Answer – Determine the patient’s level of consciousness.
2. The Patient: An 80 year-old male who has used continuous oxygen for the past three
years.
The Situation: While making a home visit, the wife tells the nurse that her husband
was doing well on 2 litres of oxygen per minute until late last night when he
developed severe shortness of breath on the way to the bathroom.
The Question: What action should the nurse take first?
Answer –
3. The Patient: A 41-year-old male.
The Situation: The patient is complaining of severe stomach pain and states that
he has been “vomiting all the time.” The Question: What should the nurse do
first?
Answer –
4. The Patient: The wife of a wealthy owner of the town’s bank.
, The Situation: The patient and her husband arrive on the unit. While orienting the
patient to the hospital room, the nurse notices that the patient has placed a large
amount of cash and some expensive earrings in the drawer of the bedside table.
The Question: What is the best action for the nurse to take?
Answer –
5. The Patient: A 45-year-old female who is 5’ 2” tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has
smoked since age 21.
The Situation: The patient comes to the clinic with a complaint of
“leg pain.”
The Question: It is most important for the nurse to obtain information about which
previous occurrence?
Answer –
6. The Patient: A 61-year-old female.
The Situation: The patient has a fever of unknown origin. The nurse administered a
fever-reducing medication 30 minutes ago. At this time there has been no decrease
in the patient’s fever.
The Question: What action would be best for the nurse to take?
Answer –
7. The Patient: A 70-year-old male who is relatively healthy.
The Situation: A liquid mediation is prescribed for this patient. The Question: Prior
to administering the prescribed medication, what intervention has the highest
priority?
Answer –
8. The Patient: A fifty-eight-year-old female.
The Situation: While the nurse is offering the patient her morning medications, she
tells the nurse that she does not recall ever taking a pill that was pink-colored.
The Question: What should the nurse do in response to this patient’s comment?
The Situation: The family brings the patient to the emergency room because he just
took an entire bottle of pills.
The Question: What action should the nurse take first?
Answer – Determine the patient’s level of consciousness.
2. The Patient: An 80 year-old male who has used continuous oxygen for the past three
years.
The Situation: While making a home visit, the wife tells the nurse that her husband
was doing well on 2 litres of oxygen per minute until late last night when he
developed severe shortness of breath on the way to the bathroom.
The Question: What action should the nurse take first?
Answer –
3. The Patient: A 41-year-old male.
The Situation: The patient is complaining of severe stomach pain and states that
he has been “vomiting all the time.” The Question: What should the nurse do
first?
Answer –
4. The Patient: The wife of a wealthy owner of the town’s bank.
, The Situation: The patient and her husband arrive on the unit. While orienting the
patient to the hospital room, the nurse notices that the patient has placed a large
amount of cash and some expensive earrings in the drawer of the bedside table.
The Question: What is the best action for the nurse to take?
Answer –
5. The Patient: A 45-year-old female who is 5’ 2” tall, weighs 200 pounds, and has
smoked since age 21.
The Situation: The patient comes to the clinic with a complaint of
“leg pain.”
The Question: It is most important for the nurse to obtain information about which
previous occurrence?
Answer –
6. The Patient: A 61-year-old female.
The Situation: The patient has a fever of unknown origin. The nurse administered a
fever-reducing medication 30 minutes ago. At this time there has been no decrease
in the patient’s fever.
The Question: What action would be best for the nurse to take?
Answer –
7. The Patient: A 70-year-old male who is relatively healthy.
The Situation: A liquid mediation is prescribed for this patient. The Question: Prior
to administering the prescribed medication, what intervention has the highest
priority?
Answer –
8. The Patient: A fifty-eight-year-old female.
The Situation: While the nurse is offering the patient her morning medications, she
tells the nurse that she does not recall ever taking a pill that was pink-colored.
The Question: What should the nurse do in response to this patient’s comment?
