Medical-Surgical Nursing: Concepts for Interprofessional
Collaborative Care
DONNA D. IGNATAVICIUS, M. LINDA WORKMAN, CHERIE R. REBAR, NICOLE M. HEIMGARTNER
10th Edition
, Medical Surgical Nursing 10th Edition
Ignatavicius Workman Test Bank
Chapter 01: Overview of Professional Nursing Concepts for Medical-Surgical Nursing Ignatavicius:
Medical-Surgical Nursing, 10th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A new nurse is working with a preceptor on a medical-surgical unit. The preceptor advises the new
nurse that which is the priority when working as a professional nurse?
a. Attending to holistic client needs
b. Ensuring client safety
c. Not making medication errors
d. Providing client-focused care
ANS: B
All actions are appropriate for the professional nurse. However, ensuring client safety is the priority.
Health care errors have been widely reported for 25 years, many of which result in client injury, death,
and increased health care costs. There are several national and international organizations that have
either recommended or mandated safety initiatives.
Every nurse has the responsibility to guard the client’s safety. The other actions are important for
quality nursing, but they are not as vital as providing safety. Not making medication errors does
provide safety, but is too narrow in scope to be the best answer.
DIF: Understanding TOP: Integrated Process: Nursing Process: Intervention KEY:
Client safety
MSC: Client Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Safety and Infection Control
2. A nurse is orienting a new client and family to the medical-surgical unit. What information does the
nurse provide to best help the client promote his or her own safety?
a. Encourage the client and family to be active partners.
b. Have the client monitor hand hygiene in caregivers.
c. Offer the family the opportunity to stay with the client.
d. Tell the client to always wear his or her armband.
ANS: A
Each action could be important for the client or family to perform. However, encouraging the client to
be active in his or her health care as a safety partner is the most critical. The other actions are very
limited in scope and do not provide the broad protection that being active and involved does.
DIF: Understanding TOP: Integrated Process: Teaching/Learning KEY:
Client safety
MSC: Client Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Safety and Infection Control
3. A nurse is caring for a postoperative client on the surgical unit. The client’s blood pressure was
142/76 mm Hg 30 minutes ago, and now is 88/50 mm Hg. What action would the nurse take first?
a. Call the Rapid Response Team.
b. Document and continue to monitor.
c. Notify the primary health care provider.
d. Repeat the blood pressure in 15 minutes.
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, ANS: A
The purpose of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) is to intervene when clients are deteriorating before
they suffer either respiratory or cardiac arrest. Since the client has manifested a significant change, the
nurse would call the RRT. Changes in blood pressure, mental status, heart rate, temperature, oxygen
saturation, and last 2 hours’ urine output are particularly significant and are part of the Modified Early
Warning System guide. Documentation is vital, but the nurse must do more than document. The
primary health care provider would be notified, but this is not more important than calling the RRT. The
client’s blood pressure would be reassessed frequently, but the priority is getting the rapid care to the
client.
DIF: Applying TOP: Integrated Process: Communication and Documentation KEY:
Rapid Response Team (RRT), Clinical judgment
MSC: Client Needs Category: Physiological Integrity: Physiological Adaptation
4. A nurse wishes to provide client-centered care in all interactions. Which action by the nurse
best demonstrates this concept?
a. Assesses for cultural influences affecting health care.
b. Ensures that all the client’s basic needs are met.
c. Tells the client and family about all upcoming tests.
d. Thoroughly orients the client and family to the room.
ANS: A
Showing respect for the client and family’s preferences and needs is essential to ensure a holistic or
“whole-person” approach to care. By assessing the effect of the client’s culture on health care, this
nurse is practicing client-focused care. Providing for basic needs does not demonstrate this
competence. Simply telling the client about all upcoming tests is not providing empowering education.
Orienting the client and family to the room is an important safety measure, but not directly related to
demonstrating client-centered care.
DIF: Understanding TOP: Integrated Process: Culture and Spirituality KEY:
Client-centered care, Culture MSC: Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity
5. A client is going to be admitted for a scheduled surgical procedure. Which action does the nurse
explain is the most important thing the client can do to protect against errors?
a. Bring a list of all medications and what they are for.
b. Keep the provider’s phone number by the telephone.
c. Make sure that all providers wash hands before entering the room.
d. Write down the name of each caregiver who comes in the room.
ANS: A
Medication reconciliation is a formal process in which the client’s actual current medications are
compared to the prescribed medications at the time of admission, transfer, or discharge. This National
client Safety Goal is important to reduce medication errors. The client would not have to be
responsible for providers washing their hands, and even if the client does so, this is too narrow to be
the most important action to prevent errors. Keeping the provider’s phone number nearby and
documenting everyone who enters the room also do not guarantee safety.
DIF: Applying TOP: Integrated Process: Teaching/Learning KEY:
Client safety, Informatics
MSC: Client Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Safety and Infection Control
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, 6. Which action by the nurse working with a client best demonstrates respect for autonomy?
a. Asks if the client has questions before signing a consent.
b. Gives the client accurate information when questioned.
c. Keeps the promises made to the client and family.
d. Treats the client fairly compared to other clients.
ANS: A
Autonomy is self-determination. The client would make decisions regarding care. When the nurse
obtains a signature on the consent form, assessing if the client still has questions is vital, because
without full information the client cannot practice autonomy. Giving accurate information is practicing
with veracity. Keeping promises is upholding fidelity. Treating the client fairly is providing social
justice.
DIF: Applying TOP: Integrated Process: Caring KEY: Ethics, Autonomy MSC:
Client Needs Category: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management of Care
7. A nurse asks a more seasoned colleague to explain best practices when communicating with a person
from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) community. What answer
by the faculty is most accurate?
a. Avoid embarrassing the client by asking questions.
b. Don’t make assumptions about his or her health needs.
c. Most LGBTQ people do not want to share information.
d. No differences exist in communicating with this population.
ANS: B
Many members of the LGBTQ community have faced discrimination from health care providers and may
be reluctant to seek health care. The nurse would never make assumptions about the needs of
members of this population. Rather, respectful questions are appropriate. If approached with
sensitivity, the client with any health care need is more likely to answer honestly.
DIF: Understanding TOP: Integrated Process: Teaching/Learning
KEY: Health care disparities, LGBTQ MSC: Client Needs Category: Psychosocial Integrity
8. A nurse is calling the on-call health care provider about a client who had a hysterectomy 2 days
ago and has pain that is unrelieved by the prescribed opioid pain medication. Which statement
comprises the background portion of the SBAR format for communication?
a. “I would like you to order a different pain medication.”
b. “This client has allergies to morphine and codeine.”
c. “Dr. Smith doesn’t like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory meds.”
d. “This client had a vaginal hysterectomy 2 days ago.”
ANS: B
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