NSG 3100 exam 4 Latest New Questions and
Answers/100% Correct/Graded A+Galen
College of Nursing
1. The nurse is providing teaching to clients regarding
intake of dietary potassium. The nurse recognizes that
the client at risk of developing an electrolyte imbalance
of potassium is the client who
A. has fatty stools from taking an over-the-counter (OTC)
weight loss product.
B. experiences anorexia.
C. has chronic heart failure (HF) that is being treated with
diuretics.
D. takes very large doses of vitamin D as a chemotherapy
supplement.
C. The client who has chronic heart failure (HF) that is
being treated with diuretics. Rationale: Clients with chronic
heart failure (HF) who are being treated with diuretics,
particularly loop diuretics like furosemide, are at risk for
hypokalemia (low potassium levels) because diuretics increase
the excretion of potassium through urine. Monitoring potassium
levels and ensuring adequate intake is critical for these clients.
The other clients are at lower risk for potassium imbalances:
• Fatty stools from OTC weight loss products (A) may cause
malabsorption of fats but are less likely to affect
potassium.
• Anorexia (B) can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies,
but potassium imbalance may not be as immediate unless
there is significant malnutrition or vomiting.
• Large doses of vitamin D (D) do not directly affect
potassium levels; however, they may affect calcium and
phosphate balance.
2. The nurse is caring for a client who has had diarrhea
for 48 hours and has developed fatigue, muscle
, weakness, and an irregular pulse. Which of the
following laboratory results should the nurse
correlate to these signs and symptoms?
A. Serum phosphate of 4 mEq/L.
B. Serum magnesium of 2 mEq/L.
C. Serum calcium of 9.5 mEq/L.
D. Serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L.
D. Serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L.
Rationale: A serum potassium level of 2.8 mEq/L indicates
hypokalemia, which can result from prolonged diarrhea.
Hypokalemia is associated with symptoms such as fatigue, muscle
weakness, and cardiac dysrhythmias (irregular pulse), which are all
present in this client.
The other values are within normal ranges and are not typically
associated with these symptoms:
• Serum phosphate (A) normal range: 2.5-4.5 mEq/L.
• Serum magnesium (B) normal range: 1.5-2.5 mEq/L.
• Serum calcium (C) normal range: 8.5-10.5 mEq/L.
3. The nurse is caring for a client who has multiple draining
wounds and has been admitted for hypovolemia. Which
of the following assessment findings is consistent with
hypovolemia?
A. Increased urine output.
B. Decreased skin turgor.
C. Hypertension.
D. Bounding peripheral pulses.
B. Decreased skin turgor.
Rationale: Decreased skin turgor is a common sign of
dehydration, which often accompanies hypovolemia. It indicates
that the skin does not quickly return to its normal position after
being pinched, reflecting reduced fluid volume in the body.
The other options are not consistent with hypovolemia:
• Increased urine output (A) would typically occur with
hypervolemia or conditions with excess fluid, not
hypovolemia.
, • Hypertension (C) is usually associated with fluid overload,
whereas hypovolemia typically leads to hypotension.
• Bounding peripheral pulses (D) are more indicative of
fluid overload rather than hypovolemia, which usually
causes weak or thready pulses.
4. The nurse is caring for assigned clients. The nurse should
see the client with which of the following symptoms
first?
A. Serum potassium concentration is decreasing; abdominal
distention, but denies any difficult breathing.
B. Serum calcium concentration is increasing; reports
constipation; is alert and denies any discomfort.
C. Serum potassium concentration is increasing; has developed
cardiac dysrhythmias, but denies any difficulty breathing.
D. Serum calcium concentration is decreasing; reports
constipation; is alert and reports a pain level of 3 on a scale
of 0 (no pain) to 10 (severe pain).
C. Serum potassium concentration is increasing; has
developed cardiac dysrhythmias, but denies any difficulty
breathing.
Rationale: Elevated potassium levels (hyperkalemia) are the most
critical concern among the listed options because they can lead to
life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, even if the client is not
experiencing difficulty breathing. Immediate intervention is
required to prevent serious complications, such as cardiac arrest.
The other symptoms listed are not as immediately life-threatening
as hyperkalemia with cardiac dysrhythmias:
• A: Decreasing potassium with abdominal distention should be
monitored, but it is less critical.
• B: Increasing calcium with constipation and no
discomfort does not require immediate intervention.
• D: Decreasing calcium with mild pain also does not pose an
immediate threat.
5. The nurse is caring for the following clients. The nurse
identifies which client as being at risk for developing
metabolic acidosis?
, A. The client who is extremely anxious.
B. The client who has had diarrhea for over a week.
C. The client who has a nasogastric (NG) tube.
D. The client who has newly diagnosed pneumonia.
B. The client who has had diarrhea for over a week.
Rationale: Prolonged diarrhea leads to the loss of bicarbonate,
which is a critical buffer in the body. When bicarbonate is lost in
large amounts, the body becomes more acidic, leading to
metabolic acidosis.
The other conditions are associated with different imbalances:
• A. Extremely anxious: This may lead to respiratory
alkalosis due to hyperventilation.
• C. Nasogastric (NG) tube: This may cause metabolic
alkalosis due to the loss of stomach acids.
• D. Newly diagnosed pneumonia: This could lead to
respiratory acidosis due to impaired gas exchange, not
metabolic acidosis.
6. The nurse is reviewing laboratory results for assigned
clients. The nurse should follow-up with a client who
has a
A. serum chloride of 100 mEq/dL.
B. specific gravity of 1.025.
C. blood sugar of 125 mg/dL.
D. serum potassium of 6 mEq/L.
Answers/100% Correct/Graded A+Galen
College of Nursing
1. The nurse is providing teaching to clients regarding
intake of dietary potassium. The nurse recognizes that
the client at risk of developing an electrolyte imbalance
of potassium is the client who
A. has fatty stools from taking an over-the-counter (OTC)
weight loss product.
B. experiences anorexia.
C. has chronic heart failure (HF) that is being treated with
diuretics.
D. takes very large doses of vitamin D as a chemotherapy
supplement.
C. The client who has chronic heart failure (HF) that is
being treated with diuretics. Rationale: Clients with chronic
heart failure (HF) who are being treated with diuretics,
particularly loop diuretics like furosemide, are at risk for
hypokalemia (low potassium levels) because diuretics increase
the excretion of potassium through urine. Monitoring potassium
levels and ensuring adequate intake is critical for these clients.
The other clients are at lower risk for potassium imbalances:
• Fatty stools from OTC weight loss products (A) may cause
malabsorption of fats but are less likely to affect
potassium.
• Anorexia (B) can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies,
but potassium imbalance may not be as immediate unless
there is significant malnutrition or vomiting.
• Large doses of vitamin D (D) do not directly affect
potassium levels; however, they may affect calcium and
phosphate balance.
2. The nurse is caring for a client who has had diarrhea
for 48 hours and has developed fatigue, muscle
, weakness, and an irregular pulse. Which of the
following laboratory results should the nurse
correlate to these signs and symptoms?
A. Serum phosphate of 4 mEq/L.
B. Serum magnesium of 2 mEq/L.
C. Serum calcium of 9.5 mEq/L.
D. Serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L.
D. Serum potassium of 2.8 mEq/L.
Rationale: A serum potassium level of 2.8 mEq/L indicates
hypokalemia, which can result from prolonged diarrhea.
Hypokalemia is associated with symptoms such as fatigue, muscle
weakness, and cardiac dysrhythmias (irregular pulse), which are all
present in this client.
The other values are within normal ranges and are not typically
associated with these symptoms:
• Serum phosphate (A) normal range: 2.5-4.5 mEq/L.
• Serum magnesium (B) normal range: 1.5-2.5 mEq/L.
• Serum calcium (C) normal range: 8.5-10.5 mEq/L.
3. The nurse is caring for a client who has multiple draining
wounds and has been admitted for hypovolemia. Which
of the following assessment findings is consistent with
hypovolemia?
A. Increased urine output.
B. Decreased skin turgor.
C. Hypertension.
D. Bounding peripheral pulses.
B. Decreased skin turgor.
Rationale: Decreased skin turgor is a common sign of
dehydration, which often accompanies hypovolemia. It indicates
that the skin does not quickly return to its normal position after
being pinched, reflecting reduced fluid volume in the body.
The other options are not consistent with hypovolemia:
• Increased urine output (A) would typically occur with
hypervolemia or conditions with excess fluid, not
hypovolemia.
, • Hypertension (C) is usually associated with fluid overload,
whereas hypovolemia typically leads to hypotension.
• Bounding peripheral pulses (D) are more indicative of
fluid overload rather than hypovolemia, which usually
causes weak or thready pulses.
4. The nurse is caring for assigned clients. The nurse should
see the client with which of the following symptoms
first?
A. Serum potassium concentration is decreasing; abdominal
distention, but denies any difficult breathing.
B. Serum calcium concentration is increasing; reports
constipation; is alert and denies any discomfort.
C. Serum potassium concentration is increasing; has developed
cardiac dysrhythmias, but denies any difficulty breathing.
D. Serum calcium concentration is decreasing; reports
constipation; is alert and reports a pain level of 3 on a scale
of 0 (no pain) to 10 (severe pain).
C. Serum potassium concentration is increasing; has
developed cardiac dysrhythmias, but denies any difficulty
breathing.
Rationale: Elevated potassium levels (hyperkalemia) are the most
critical concern among the listed options because they can lead to
life-threatening cardiac dysrhythmias, even if the client is not
experiencing difficulty breathing. Immediate intervention is
required to prevent serious complications, such as cardiac arrest.
The other symptoms listed are not as immediately life-threatening
as hyperkalemia with cardiac dysrhythmias:
• A: Decreasing potassium with abdominal distention should be
monitored, but it is less critical.
• B: Increasing calcium with constipation and no
discomfort does not require immediate intervention.
• D: Decreasing calcium with mild pain also does not pose an
immediate threat.
5. The nurse is caring for the following clients. The nurse
identifies which client as being at risk for developing
metabolic acidosis?
, A. The client who is extremely anxious.
B. The client who has had diarrhea for over a week.
C. The client who has a nasogastric (NG) tube.
D. The client who has newly diagnosed pneumonia.
B. The client who has had diarrhea for over a week.
Rationale: Prolonged diarrhea leads to the loss of bicarbonate,
which is a critical buffer in the body. When bicarbonate is lost in
large amounts, the body becomes more acidic, leading to
metabolic acidosis.
The other conditions are associated with different imbalances:
• A. Extremely anxious: This may lead to respiratory
alkalosis due to hyperventilation.
• C. Nasogastric (NG) tube: This may cause metabolic
alkalosis due to the loss of stomach acids.
• D. Newly diagnosed pneumonia: This could lead to
respiratory acidosis due to impaired gas exchange, not
metabolic acidosis.
6. The nurse is reviewing laboratory results for assigned
clients. The nurse should follow-up with a client who
has a
A. serum chloride of 100 mEq/dL.
B. specific gravity of 1.025.
C. blood sugar of 125 mg/dL.
D. serum potassium of 6 mEq/L.
