Chapter 56: Assessment of the Endocrine
System
Ignatavicius: Medical-Surgical Nursing, 10th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse assesses a female client who presents with hirsutism. Which question would
the nurse ask when assessing this client?
a. “How do you plan to pay for your treatments?”
b. “How do you feel about yourself?”
c. “What medications are you prescribed?”
d. “What are you doing to prevent this from happening?”
ANS: B
Hirsutism, or excessive hair growth on the face and body, can result from endocrine
disorders. This may cause a disruption in body image, especially for female clients.
The nurse would inquire into the client’s body image and self-perception. Asking
about the client’s financial status or current medications does not address the client’s
immediate problem. The client is not doing anything to herself to cause the problem,
nor can the client prevent it from happening.
DIF: Applying TOP: Integrated Process: Caring KEY: Endocrine
system, Coping MSC: Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity
2. A nurse is caring for a patient who has excessive catecholamine release. Which
assessment finding would the nurse correlate with this condition?
a. Decreased blood pressure
b. Increased pulse
, c. Decreased respiratory rate
d. Increased urine output
ANS: B
Catecholamines are responsible for the fight-or-flight stress response. Activation of
the sympathetic nervous system can be correlated with tachycardia. Catecholamines
do not decrease blood pressure or respiratory rate, nor do they increase urine output.
DIF: Remembering TOP: Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Analysis
KEY: Endocrine system, Assessment MSC: Client Needs
Category: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
3. The nurse is teaching assistive personnel (AP) about hormones that are produced by
the adrenal glands. Which hormone has the primary responsibility of maintaining fluid
volume and electrolyte composition?
a. Sodium
b. Magnesium
c. Aldosterone
d. Renin
ANS: C
Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex that causes water and sodium
absorption to maintain body fluid volume. Renin is secreted by the kidney to trigger
angiotensinogen converting angiotensin I to angiotensin II to help control blood
pressure. Magnesium and sodium are electrolytes and not hormones.
DIF: Remembering TOP: Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Assessment
KEY: Endocrine system, Anatomy and physiology MSC:
Client Needs Category: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
4. The nurse reviews the function of thyroid gland hormones. What is the primary
function of calcitonin?
System
Ignatavicius: Medical-Surgical Nursing, 10th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse assesses a female client who presents with hirsutism. Which question would
the nurse ask when assessing this client?
a. “How do you plan to pay for your treatments?”
b. “How do you feel about yourself?”
c. “What medications are you prescribed?”
d. “What are you doing to prevent this from happening?”
ANS: B
Hirsutism, or excessive hair growth on the face and body, can result from endocrine
disorders. This may cause a disruption in body image, especially for female clients.
The nurse would inquire into the client’s body image and self-perception. Asking
about the client’s financial status or current medications does not address the client’s
immediate problem. The client is not doing anything to herself to cause the problem,
nor can the client prevent it from happening.
DIF: Applying TOP: Integrated Process: Caring KEY: Endocrine
system, Coping MSC: Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity
2. A nurse is caring for a patient who has excessive catecholamine release. Which
assessment finding would the nurse correlate with this condition?
a. Decreased blood pressure
b. Increased pulse
, c. Decreased respiratory rate
d. Increased urine output
ANS: B
Catecholamines are responsible for the fight-or-flight stress response. Activation of
the sympathetic nervous system can be correlated with tachycardia. Catecholamines
do not decrease blood pressure or respiratory rate, nor do they increase urine output.
DIF: Remembering TOP: Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Analysis
KEY: Endocrine system, Assessment MSC: Client Needs
Category: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
3. The nurse is teaching assistive personnel (AP) about hormones that are produced by
the adrenal glands. Which hormone has the primary responsibility of maintaining fluid
volume and electrolyte composition?
a. Sodium
b. Magnesium
c. Aldosterone
d. Renin
ANS: C
Aldosterone is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex that causes water and sodium
absorption to maintain body fluid volume. Renin is secreted by the kidney to trigger
angiotensinogen converting angiotensin I to angiotensin II to help control blood
pressure. Magnesium and sodium are electrolytes and not hormones.
DIF: Remembering TOP: Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Assessment
KEY: Endocrine system, Anatomy and physiology MSC:
Client Needs Category: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
4. The nurse reviews the function of thyroid gland hormones. What is the primary
function of calcitonin?
