Test Bank for Medical-Surgical Nursing Critical Thinking in Client Care, 4th Edition

1. The nurse is caring for four clients on a medical–surgical unit. Which client should the nurse see initially? 1. A client admitted with hepatitis A who has had severe diarrhea for the last 24 hours 2. A client admitted with pneumonia who is has small amounts of yellow productive sputum 3. A client admitted with fever of unknown origin (FUO) who has been without fever for the last 48 hours 4. A client admitted with a wound infection whose WBC is 8,500 mm3 Answer: 1 Rationale: The nurse must decide which client should be seen on the initial rounds of the day. The nurse must remember that the first client to be seen should be the client who needs the attention of the nurse initially. A client with hepatitis A does experience diarrhea, but diarrhea for the last 24 hours could cause the client to have a problem with dehydration and experience a state of fluid volume deficit. Cognitive Level: Application Client Needs: Safe, Effective Care Environment Nursing Process: Planning