The nurse in the women's health clinic has four patients who are waiting to be seen. Which
patient should the nurse see FIRST? - a. 22-year-old with persistent red-brown vaginal
drainage 3 days after having balloon thermotherapy
b. 42-year-old with secondary amenorrhea who says that her last menstrual cycle was 3 months
ago
c. 35-year-old with heavy spotting after having a progestin-containing IUD (Mirena) inserted a
month ago
D. 19-year-old with menorrhagia who has been using superabsorbent tampons and has fever
with weakness Rational:
The patients history and clinical manifestations suggest possible toxic shock syndrome, which
will require rapid intervention. The symptoms for the other patients are consistent with their
diagnoses and do not indicate life-threatening complications.
A healthy 28-year-old who has been vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) has a
normal Pap test. Which information will the nurse include in patient teaching when calling the
patient with the results of the Pap test? - Pap testing is recommended every 3 years for
women your age.
To prevent pregnancy in a patient who has been sexually assaulted, the nurse in the emergency
department will plan to teach the patient about the use of - levonorgestrel (Plan-B One-
Step).
Rational:
Plan B One-Step reduces the risk of pregnancy when taken within 72 hours of intercourse. The
other methods are used for therapeutic abortion, but not for pregnancy prevention after
unprotected intercourse.
A 22-year-old tells the nurse that she has not had a menstrual period for the last 2 months.
Which action is MOST important for the nurse to take? - A. Obtain a urine specimen for a
pregnancy test.
b. Ask about any recent stressful lifestyle changes.
c. Measure the patients current height and weight.
d. Question the patient about prescribed medications. Rational:
,Pregnancy should always be considered a possible cause of amenorrhea in women of
childbearing age. The other actions are also appropriate, but it is important to check for
pregnancy in this patient because pregnancy will require rapid implementation of actions to
promote normal fetal development such as changes in lifestyle, folic acid intake, etc.
Which information will the nurse include when teaching a patient who has developed a small
vesicovaginal fistula 2 weeks into the postpartum period? - a. Take stool softeners to prevent
fecal contamination of the vagina.
b. Limit oral fluid intake to minimize the quantity of urinary drainage.
C. Change the perineal pad frequently to prevent perineal skin breakdown.
d. Call the health care provider immediately if urine drains from the vagina.
Rational:
Because urine will leak from the bladder, the patient should plan to use perineal pads and
change them frequently. A high fluid intake is recommended to decrease the risk for urinary
tract infections. Drainage of urine from the vagina is expected with vesicovaginal fistulas. Fecal
contamination is not a concern with vesicovaginal fistulas.
The nurse has just received change-of-shift report about the following four patients. Which
patient should be assessed FIRST? - a. A patient with a cervical radium implant in place who
is crying in her room
b. A patient who is complaining of 5/10 pain after an abdominal hysterectomy
C. A patient with a possible ectopic pregnancy who is complaining of shoulder pain
d. A patient in the fifteenth week of gestation who has uterine cramping and spotting
Rational:
The patient with the ectopic pregnancy has symptoms consistent with rupture and needs
immediate assessment for signs of hemorrhage and possible transfer to surgery. The other
patients should also be assessed as quickly as possible but do not have symptoms of life-
threatening complications
A 27-year-old patient tells the nurse that she would like a prescription for oral contraceptives to
control her premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMD-D) symptoms. Which patient information is
MOST important to communicate to the health care provider? - a. Bilateral breast
tenderness
b. Frequent abdominal bloating
, C. History of migraine headaches
d. Previous spontaneous abortion
Rational:
Oral contraceptives are contraindicated in patients with a history of migraine headaches. The
other patient information would not prevent the patient from receiving oral contraceptives.
The nurse notes that a patient who has a large cystocele, admitted 10 hours ago, has not yet
voided. Which action should the nurse take FIRST? - a. Insert a straight catheter per the PRN
order.
b. Encourage the patient to increase oral fluids.
c. Notify the health care provider of the inability to void. D. Use an ultrasound scanner to check
for urinary retention.
Rational:
Because urinary retention is common with a large cystocele, the nurses first action should be to
use an ultrasound bladder scanner to check for the presence of urine in the bladder. The other
actions may be appropriate, depending on the findings with the bladder scanner.
A 58-year-old patient who has undergone a radical vulvectomy for vulvar carcinoma returns to
the medical-surgical unit after the surgery. The PRIORITY nursing diagnosis for the patient at this
time is - A. risk for infection related to contact of the wound with urine and stool.
b. self-care deficit: bathing/hygiene related to pain and difficulty moving.
c. imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements related to low-residue diet.
d. risk for ineffective sexual pattern related to disfiguration caused by the surgery.
Rational:
Complex and meticulous wound care is needed to prevent infection and delayed wound healing.
The other nursing diagnoses may also be appropriate for the patient but are not the highest
priority immediately after surgery.
A 32-year-old woman brought to the emergency department reports being sexually assaulted.
The patient is confused about where she is and she has a large laceration above the right eye.
Which action should the nurse take FIRST? - A. Assess the patients neurologic status.
b. Assist the patient to remove her clothing.
c. Contact the sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE).