Chapter 40: Hygiene
Potter et al.: Fundamentals of Nursing, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse is preparing to provide hygiene care. Which principle should the nurse consider when
planning hygiene care?
a. Hygiene care is always routine and expected.
b. No two individuals perform hygiene in the same manner.
c. It is important to standardize a patient’s hygienic practices.
d. During hygiene care do not take the time to learn about patient needs.
2. A patient’s hygiene schedule of bathing and brushing teeth is largely influenced by family cus-
toms. For which age group is the nurse most likely providing care?
a.Adolescent
b.Preschooler
c.Older adult
d.Adult
3. The patient has been diagnosed with diabetes. When admitted, the patient is unkempt and is in
need of a bath and foot care. When questioned about hygiene habits, the nurse learns the patient
takes a bath once a week and a sponge bath every other day. To provide ultimate care for this pa-
tient, which principle should the nurse keep in mind?
a. Patients who appear unkempt place little importance on hygiene practices.
b. Personal preferences determine hygiene practices and are unchangeable.
c. The patient’s illness may require teaching of new hygiene practices.
d. All cultures value cleanliness with the same degree of importance.
,4. The nurse is caring for a patient who refuses to bathe in the morning. When asked why, the pa-
tient says “I always bathe in the evening.” Which action by the nurse is best?
a. Defer the bath until evening and pass on the information to the next shift.
b. Tell the patient that daily morning baths are the “normal” routine.
c. Explain the importance of maintaining morning hygiene practices.
d. Cancel hygiene for the day and attempt again in the morning.
5. A nurse is completing an assessment of the patient. Which principle is a priority?
a. Foot care will always be important.
b. Daily bathing will always be important.
c. Hygiene needs will always be important.
d. Critical thinking will always be important.
6. When providing hygiene for an older-adult patient, the nurse closely assesses the skin. What is
the rationale for the nurse’s action?
a. Outer skin layer becomes more resilient.
b. Less frequent bathing may be required.
c. Skin becomes less subject to bruising.
d. Sweat glands become more active.
7. The nurse is bathing a patient and notices movement in the patient’s hair. Which action will
the nurse take?
a. Use gloves to inspect the hair.
b. Apply a lindane-based shampoo immediately.
c. Shave the hair off of the patient’s head.
,d. Ignore the movement and continue.
8. The patient has been brought to the emergency department following a motor vehicle accident.
The patient is unresponsive. The driver’s license states that glasses are needed to operate a motor
vehicle, but no glasses were brought in with the patient. Which action should the nurse take
next?
a. Stand to the side of the patient’s eye and observe the cornea.
b. Conclude that the glasses were lost during the accident.
c. Notify the ambulance personnel for missing glasses.
d. Ask the patient where the glasses are.
9. A nurse is assessing a patient’s skin. Which patient is most at risk for impaired skin integrity?
a.A patient who is afebrile
b.A patient who is diaphoretic
c.A patient with strong pedal pulses
d.A patient with adequate skin turgor
10. The nurse is caring for a patient who is immobile. The nurse frequently checks the patient for
impaired skin integrity. What is the rationale for the nurse’s action?
a. Inadequate blood flow leads to decreased tissue ischemia.
b. Patients with limited caloric intake develop thicker skin.
c. Pressure reduces circulation to affected tissue.
d. Verbalization of skin care needs is decreased.
11. The nurse is caring for a patient who has diabetes mellitus and circulatory insufficiency, with
peripheral neuropathy and urinary incontinence. On which areas does the nurse focus care?
, a. Decreased pain sensation and increased risk of skin impairment
b. Decreased caloric intake and accelerated wound healing
c. High risk for skin infection and low saliva pH level
d. High risk for impaired venous return and dementia
12. The nurse is caring for a patient who has undergone surgery for a broken leg and has a cast in
place. What should the nurse do to prevent skin impairment?
a. Assess surfaces exposed to the edges of the cast for pressure areas.
b. Keep the patient’s blood pressure low to prevent overperfusion of tissue.
c. Do not allow turning in bed because that may lead to redislocation of the leg.
d. Restrict the patient’s dietary intake to reduce the number of times on the bedpan.
13. Which action by the nurse will be the most important for preventing skin impairment in a
mobile patient with local nerve damage?
a.Insert an indwelling urinary catheter.
b.Limit caloric and protein intake.
c.Turn the patient every 2 hours.
d.Assess for pain during a bath.
14. After performing foot care, the nurse checks the medical record and discovers that the patient
has a foot disorder caused by a virus. Which condition did the nurse most likely observe?
a.Corns
b.A callus
c.Plantar warts
d.Athlete’s foot
Potter et al.: Fundamentals of Nursing, 9th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. A nurse is preparing to provide hygiene care. Which principle should the nurse consider when
planning hygiene care?
a. Hygiene care is always routine and expected.
b. No two individuals perform hygiene in the same manner.
c. It is important to standardize a patient’s hygienic practices.
d. During hygiene care do not take the time to learn about patient needs.
2. A patient’s hygiene schedule of bathing and brushing teeth is largely influenced by family cus-
toms. For which age group is the nurse most likely providing care?
a.Adolescent
b.Preschooler
c.Older adult
d.Adult
3. The patient has been diagnosed with diabetes. When admitted, the patient is unkempt and is in
need of a bath and foot care. When questioned about hygiene habits, the nurse learns the patient
takes a bath once a week and a sponge bath every other day. To provide ultimate care for this pa-
tient, which principle should the nurse keep in mind?
a. Patients who appear unkempt place little importance on hygiene practices.
b. Personal preferences determine hygiene practices and are unchangeable.
c. The patient’s illness may require teaching of new hygiene practices.
d. All cultures value cleanliness with the same degree of importance.
,4. The nurse is caring for a patient who refuses to bathe in the morning. When asked why, the pa-
tient says “I always bathe in the evening.” Which action by the nurse is best?
a. Defer the bath until evening and pass on the information to the next shift.
b. Tell the patient that daily morning baths are the “normal” routine.
c. Explain the importance of maintaining morning hygiene practices.
d. Cancel hygiene for the day and attempt again in the morning.
5. A nurse is completing an assessment of the patient. Which principle is a priority?
a. Foot care will always be important.
b. Daily bathing will always be important.
c. Hygiene needs will always be important.
d. Critical thinking will always be important.
6. When providing hygiene for an older-adult patient, the nurse closely assesses the skin. What is
the rationale for the nurse’s action?
a. Outer skin layer becomes more resilient.
b. Less frequent bathing may be required.
c. Skin becomes less subject to bruising.
d. Sweat glands become more active.
7. The nurse is bathing a patient and notices movement in the patient’s hair. Which action will
the nurse take?
a. Use gloves to inspect the hair.
b. Apply a lindane-based shampoo immediately.
c. Shave the hair off of the patient’s head.
,d. Ignore the movement and continue.
8. The patient has been brought to the emergency department following a motor vehicle accident.
The patient is unresponsive. The driver’s license states that glasses are needed to operate a motor
vehicle, but no glasses were brought in with the patient. Which action should the nurse take
next?
a. Stand to the side of the patient’s eye and observe the cornea.
b. Conclude that the glasses were lost during the accident.
c. Notify the ambulance personnel for missing glasses.
d. Ask the patient where the glasses are.
9. A nurse is assessing a patient’s skin. Which patient is most at risk for impaired skin integrity?
a.A patient who is afebrile
b.A patient who is diaphoretic
c.A patient with strong pedal pulses
d.A patient with adequate skin turgor
10. The nurse is caring for a patient who is immobile. The nurse frequently checks the patient for
impaired skin integrity. What is the rationale for the nurse’s action?
a. Inadequate blood flow leads to decreased tissue ischemia.
b. Patients with limited caloric intake develop thicker skin.
c. Pressure reduces circulation to affected tissue.
d. Verbalization of skin care needs is decreased.
11. The nurse is caring for a patient who has diabetes mellitus and circulatory insufficiency, with
peripheral neuropathy and urinary incontinence. On which areas does the nurse focus care?
, a. Decreased pain sensation and increased risk of skin impairment
b. Decreased caloric intake and accelerated wound healing
c. High risk for skin infection and low saliva pH level
d. High risk for impaired venous return and dementia
12. The nurse is caring for a patient who has undergone surgery for a broken leg and has a cast in
place. What should the nurse do to prevent skin impairment?
a. Assess surfaces exposed to the edges of the cast for pressure areas.
b. Keep the patient’s blood pressure low to prevent overperfusion of tissue.
c. Do not allow turning in bed because that may lead to redislocation of the leg.
d. Restrict the patient’s dietary intake to reduce the number of times on the bedpan.
13. Which action by the nurse will be the most important for preventing skin impairment in a
mobile patient with local nerve damage?
a.Insert an indwelling urinary catheter.
b.Limit caloric and protein intake.
c.Turn the patient every 2 hours.
d.Assess for pain during a bath.
14. After performing foot care, the nurse checks the medical record and discovers that the patient
has a foot disorder caused by a virus. Which condition did the nurse most likely observe?
a.Corns
b.A callus
c.Plantar warts
d.Athlete’s foot
