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NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
Final Exam Med Surg Study Guide
Please use these studying tips as you prepare for the final exam.
• Spend time focusing on areas in which you scored weaker on prior exams.
• Use the triage method (stacks of don’t know, sorta know, and know). Don’t spend time on
the stuff you already know!
• Talk it out!
• Post any questions online.
Blood/Blood Products (2) • Types of blood products and why they are given
• Administration and monitoring of blood products
• Transfusion reactions – clinical manifestations; nursing
interventions
HIV/AIDS (2) • Complications/problems associated with HIV; nursing
care
• Modes of transmission
• Progression from HIV to AIDS
• Diagnostics
Diabetes (5) • Differences between type 1 and type 2
• Labs
• Diet and exercise
• Patient education; sick days
• Oral hypoglycemic agents
• Insulins – onset, peaks, durations
• Complications
• Hypo vs. hyperglycemia
Fracture/amputation/SCI/LBP • Types of fractures (open, closed etc.)
(3) • Neurovascular assessment
• Immobilization, traction, and reduction
• Complications (infection, compartment syndrome,
DVT/PE, & fat embolism)
• Management of amputation
• Management of spinal cord injury and low back pain
Pneumonia (2) • Etiology/Risk factors/clinical manifestations
• Diagnostics and treatments
• Complications
Asthma/COPD (4) • Patient teaching for patient with asthma; medications;
use of inhalers
• Chronic bronchitis, emphysema – clinical
manifestations
• Treatment and nursing care for acute exacerbations and
chronic condition
TB (2) • Diagnosis, Treatment; medications
• Complication from meds
• Patient education
, 2
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
Coronary Artery Disease (2) • Types of angina
• Pt care, prioritization for CAD and MI
• Risk factors, labs, and medications
• Atherosclerosis
Heart Failure (5) • Assessments, clinical manifestations associated with
heart failure (right vs. left)
• Treatment (Nutrition, drug therapy)
• Complications
• Diagnostics
PVD (2) • Difference between arterial and venous disorders
• Raynaud’s & Buerger’s
• Anticoagulant therapy
• Post op care post vascular surgery; complications post-
surgery; patient teaching
• DVT & PE
Hepatitis (2) • Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E – risk factors; clinical
manifestations; treatment, modes of transmission
Hypertension (2) • Primary vs. Secondary
• Clinical manifestations and complications
• Lifestyle modification
Hematologic Problems (2) • Clinical manifestations of anemia & labs
• Etiology and nursing management (i.e. Sickle cell)
Chronic kidney disease (5) • Clinical manifestations associated with CKD
• Peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis treatments and
complications
• Diet and labs
• CKD Complications
Urinary Problems (3) • Distinguish between BPH and Prostate cancer
• Surgery – post TURP care
• Urinary diversions for bladder cancer
• UTI (patho, clinical manifestations etc)
GI Alterations (5) • Difference between Crohns, Diverticular disease, and
Ulcerative Colitis
• Dietary consideration and teaching for lower GI
conditions (appendicitis, peritonitis, ulcerative colitis,
crohns disease, diverticulitis etc.); and clinical
manifestations
• Colostomy care
• Post op care; teaching
• Labs, meds
• Post-surgical care
• GERD risk factors/complications/clinical
manifestations, PUD
• Cholecystitis and obesity treatment
• Colorectal CA assessment & nursing management
Cancer (2) • Know common presenting signs and symptoms
, 3
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
• Blood values and labs
• Diagnostic test
• Nursing care of problems that occur during
chemotherapy and radiation treatment. (i.e.
myelosuppression)
• Palliative Care
• Be sure to know the individual cancer types we
discussed.
Low Back Pain
Risk Factors:
● Smoking
● Stress
● Poor posture
● Lack of muscle tone
● Excess weight
● Heavy lifting, vibration, extended periods of sitting
Related to:
● Closely related to opioid addiction; addicts
○ Don’t have to have opioid for effective pain relief
○ Avenue for opioid addiction
● Related to muscular, disks, osteoporotic changes,
● Radiculopathy - hernia pushes on nerve
● spinal stenosis: narrowing of spinal cord
Assessment:
● Assess movement, sensory
● L4, L5, L6 - sensory in legs
● Bladder/bowel function = important question to ask
● If spine unstable: do spinal fusion = fusion of levels of the spine.
Maintains space = spaces between vertebrae don’t push on each
other; maintains alignment. Gets bone from iliac crest (top of pelvis),
shave a chunk off and puts it on spine;
○ Super painful
○ See 1-2 inch incision on buttock
○ Pain in hip
○ Unstable spine
○ Treat like a spinal cord injury: log roll, brace, can’t sit up, changes
in neurological assessment
, 4
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
○ Bowel incontinence: normal first few hours post op, assess
neurological sensation in legs/toes (do this first)
○ Recovery = may see effects for rest of life
○ May take weeks/months/year to fully recover
○ Spinal surgery: ortho and neuro specialists perform this
Interventions/Patient Teaching
● Proper body alignment and posture; keep spine align; use lifting
mechanisms instead; use back braces
● R.I.C.E.
○ Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate
○ Stop doing stuff that hurts it
○ Heat doesn’t help
○ Elevate back - get swelling off
● Maintain body weight
● Sleep in side lying position with knees and hips bent; use pillow in
between knees for support
(When disks sits on nerve, overtime nerve becomes ischemic: get disk off
nerve; primarily discectomy or percutaneous skin procedures; decrease
pressure off disk)
Spinal Cord Injury
Greatest risk: young adult men ages 16-30 yrs
Common causes:
● Trauma: car accidents, falls, violence, sport injuries
○ Primary injury: bone displacement, interruption of blood supply,
or traction from pulling on the cord
■ Blunt: car accidents
■ Penetrating: gunshot, stabbing
○ Secondary injury: progressive damage
■ cancerous/benign tumor
Types:
● tetraplegia/quadriplegia: paralysis (loss of sensation) of all four
extremities; have muscle atrophy, lose muscle mass, elasticity of joints
● Paraplegia: paralysis of legs; caused by damage to thoracic, lumbar, or
sacral spinal cord
● Complete cord involvement: total loss of sensory and motor function
below level of injury; most serious but rare
● Incomplete cord involvement: partial transection; mixed loss of
voluntary motor activity and sensation and leaves some tracts intact
Early assessment findings:
● Respiratory:
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
Final Exam Med Surg Study Guide
Please use these studying tips as you prepare for the final exam.
• Spend time focusing on areas in which you scored weaker on prior exams.
• Use the triage method (stacks of don’t know, sorta know, and know). Don’t spend time on
the stuff you already know!
• Talk it out!
• Post any questions online.
Blood/Blood Products (2) • Types of blood products and why they are given
• Administration and monitoring of blood products
• Transfusion reactions – clinical manifestations; nursing
interventions
HIV/AIDS (2) • Complications/problems associated with HIV; nursing
care
• Modes of transmission
• Progression from HIV to AIDS
• Diagnostics
Diabetes (5) • Differences between type 1 and type 2
• Labs
• Diet and exercise
• Patient education; sick days
• Oral hypoglycemic agents
• Insulins – onset, peaks, durations
• Complications
• Hypo vs. hyperglycemia
Fracture/amputation/SCI/LBP • Types of fractures (open, closed etc.)
(3) • Neurovascular assessment
• Immobilization, traction, and reduction
• Complications (infection, compartment syndrome,
DVT/PE, & fat embolism)
• Management of amputation
• Management of spinal cord injury and low back pain
Pneumonia (2) • Etiology/Risk factors/clinical manifestations
• Diagnostics and treatments
• Complications
Asthma/COPD (4) • Patient teaching for patient with asthma; medications;
use of inhalers
• Chronic bronchitis, emphysema – clinical
manifestations
• Treatment and nursing care for acute exacerbations and
chronic condition
TB (2) • Diagnosis, Treatment; medications
• Complication from meds
• Patient education
, 2
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
Coronary Artery Disease (2) • Types of angina
• Pt care, prioritization for CAD and MI
• Risk factors, labs, and medications
• Atherosclerosis
Heart Failure (5) • Assessments, clinical manifestations associated with
heart failure (right vs. left)
• Treatment (Nutrition, drug therapy)
• Complications
• Diagnostics
PVD (2) • Difference between arterial and venous disorders
• Raynaud’s & Buerger’s
• Anticoagulant therapy
• Post op care post vascular surgery; complications post-
surgery; patient teaching
• DVT & PE
Hepatitis (2) • Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E – risk factors; clinical
manifestations; treatment, modes of transmission
Hypertension (2) • Primary vs. Secondary
• Clinical manifestations and complications
• Lifestyle modification
Hematologic Problems (2) • Clinical manifestations of anemia & labs
• Etiology and nursing management (i.e. Sickle cell)
Chronic kidney disease (5) • Clinical manifestations associated with CKD
• Peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis treatments and
complications
• Diet and labs
• CKD Complications
Urinary Problems (3) • Distinguish between BPH and Prostate cancer
• Surgery – post TURP care
• Urinary diversions for bladder cancer
• UTI (patho, clinical manifestations etc)
GI Alterations (5) • Difference between Crohns, Diverticular disease, and
Ulcerative Colitis
• Dietary consideration and teaching for lower GI
conditions (appendicitis, peritonitis, ulcerative colitis,
crohns disease, diverticulitis etc.); and clinical
manifestations
• Colostomy care
• Post op care; teaching
• Labs, meds
• Post-surgical care
• GERD risk factors/complications/clinical
manifestations, PUD
• Cholecystitis and obesity treatment
• Colorectal CA assessment & nursing management
Cancer (2) • Know common presenting signs and symptoms
, 3
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
• Blood values and labs
• Diagnostic test
• Nursing care of problems that occur during
chemotherapy and radiation treatment. (i.e.
myelosuppression)
• Palliative Care
• Be sure to know the individual cancer types we
discussed.
Low Back Pain
Risk Factors:
● Smoking
● Stress
● Poor posture
● Lack of muscle tone
● Excess weight
● Heavy lifting, vibration, extended periods of sitting
Related to:
● Closely related to opioid addiction; addicts
○ Don’t have to have opioid for effective pain relief
○ Avenue for opioid addiction
● Related to muscular, disks, osteoporotic changes,
● Radiculopathy - hernia pushes on nerve
● spinal stenosis: narrowing of spinal cord
Assessment:
● Assess movement, sensory
● L4, L5, L6 - sensory in legs
● Bladder/bowel function = important question to ask
● If spine unstable: do spinal fusion = fusion of levels of the spine.
Maintains space = spaces between vertebrae don’t push on each
other; maintains alignment. Gets bone from iliac crest (top of pelvis),
shave a chunk off and puts it on spine;
○ Super painful
○ See 1-2 inch incision on buttock
○ Pain in hip
○ Unstable spine
○ Treat like a spinal cord injury: log roll, brace, can’t sit up, changes
in neurological assessment
, 4
NURS 3205 Final Exam Study Guide
○ Bowel incontinence: normal first few hours post op, assess
neurological sensation in legs/toes (do this first)
○ Recovery = may see effects for rest of life
○ May take weeks/months/year to fully recover
○ Spinal surgery: ortho and neuro specialists perform this
Interventions/Patient Teaching
● Proper body alignment and posture; keep spine align; use lifting
mechanisms instead; use back braces
● R.I.C.E.
○ Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate
○ Stop doing stuff that hurts it
○ Heat doesn’t help
○ Elevate back - get swelling off
● Maintain body weight
● Sleep in side lying position with knees and hips bent; use pillow in
between knees for support
(When disks sits on nerve, overtime nerve becomes ischemic: get disk off
nerve; primarily discectomy or percutaneous skin procedures; decrease
pressure off disk)
Spinal Cord Injury
Greatest risk: young adult men ages 16-30 yrs
Common causes:
● Trauma: car accidents, falls, violence, sport injuries
○ Primary injury: bone displacement, interruption of blood supply,
or traction from pulling on the cord
■ Blunt: car accidents
■ Penetrating: gunshot, stabbing
○ Secondary injury: progressive damage
■ cancerous/benign tumor
Types:
● tetraplegia/quadriplegia: paralysis (loss of sensation) of all four
extremities; have muscle atrophy, lose muscle mass, elasticity of joints
● Paraplegia: paralysis of legs; caused by damage to thoracic, lumbar, or
sacral spinal cord
● Complete cord involvement: total loss of sensory and motor function
below level of injury; most serious but rare
● Incomplete cord involvement: partial transection; mixed loss of
voluntary motor activity and sensation and leaves some tracts intact
Early assessment findings:
● Respiratory:
