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NU371 HESI Case Study: Suicide, A Sentinel Event
Questions with Answers (100% Correct Answers)
Meet the Client
The client has a 45-year history of smoking one pack a day of cigarettes. He admits he
has had a productive cough, hoarseness, and a hard time breathing. He attributes these
symptoms to his age. He describes waking up three to four times at night with
coughing and difficulty breathing. He states that he has lost weight, but thinks it is
because he isn't really hungry anymore. He talks about being unusually tired lately and
mentions that sometimes doesn't have enough energy to get from the bedroom to the
kitchen. The client also says he drinks nutrition shakes for meals because they are easy
to prepare and they taste good. The client's medical history includes insulin-dependent
type II diabetes mellitus. He says that what bothers him the most is that he has difficulty
concentrating. He compares it to "suffering from some sort of brain fog."
As the nurse documents the client's assessment, the nurse is correct to question
which activity of a client with type II diabetes mellitus? (Select all that apply. One,
some, or all options may be correct.)
a) Client's frequency for checking blood glucose.
b) Quantity of Ensure taken per day.
c) Reason for lack of appetite.
d) Amount of water and other fluids taken daily.
e) Last blood glucose result obtained by client.
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,2
Ans: a) Client's frequency for checking blood glucose.
b) Quantity of Ensure taken per day.
c) Reason for lack of appetite.
d) Amount of water and other fluids taken daily.
The client mentions that he feels "blue" lately because his wife died one year ago,
and his children live out of state and seldom visit. The nurse knows that the greatest
risk for major depression includes which event?
a) Being retired from the military.
b) The realization of growing older.
c) Inability to attend church regularly.
d) Becoming widowed within the past year.
Ans: d) Becoming widowed within the past year.
-
The combinations of sadness, loneliness from losing a loved one in widowhood, and
hopelessness leads to social withdrawal. Those feelings place an older adult at greater
risk of suffering from major depression because older adults are reluctant to adapt to
changes.
Physical Assessment
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, 3
Ans: The client is alert and oriented to time and place. He is a pale, thin male, with
shallow respirations. He exhibits some nasal flaring, mild intercostal retractions, and a
productive cough. He leans forward as he sits in a tripod position. Upon auscultation,
the nurse notices wheezing to the right side and diminished breath sounds to the left
side, and his heart rate is slightly elevated. Visual inspection of the client reveals a barrel
chest, mild clubbing of the fingers, and cyanosis to the nail beds. His skin is very warm
and dry to the touch, and an examination reveals decreased skin turgor, and a stage II
decubitus ulcer in the sacral area that scored a 14 on the Braden scale. The client has
mild swelling of the feet and he reports limited mobility related to feeling weak. He
denies allergies to medication or food and denies any pain. He does not have advance
directives.
VITAL SIGNS
Ans: T 101.5° F (38.6° C), HR 110 beats/min, R 20 breaths/min, BP 150/90 mmHg, blood
glucose 200, O2 saturation 88% on room air
MEDICATIONS
Ans: albuterol and ipratropium bromide, meter dose inhalers
diltiazem
furosemide
aspirin 81 mg
metformin
regular insulin (sliding scale)
enoxaparin sodium
PRESCRIPTIONS
© 2025 All rights reserved
NU371 HESI Case Study: Suicide, A Sentinel Event
Questions with Answers (100% Correct Answers)
Meet the Client
The client has a 45-year history of smoking one pack a day of cigarettes. He admits he
has had a productive cough, hoarseness, and a hard time breathing. He attributes these
symptoms to his age. He describes waking up three to four times at night with
coughing and difficulty breathing. He states that he has lost weight, but thinks it is
because he isn't really hungry anymore. He talks about being unusually tired lately and
mentions that sometimes doesn't have enough energy to get from the bedroom to the
kitchen. The client also says he drinks nutrition shakes for meals because they are easy
to prepare and they taste good. The client's medical history includes insulin-dependent
type II diabetes mellitus. He says that what bothers him the most is that he has difficulty
concentrating. He compares it to "suffering from some sort of brain fog."
As the nurse documents the client's assessment, the nurse is correct to question
which activity of a client with type II diabetes mellitus? (Select all that apply. One,
some, or all options may be correct.)
a) Client's frequency for checking blood glucose.
b) Quantity of Ensure taken per day.
c) Reason for lack of appetite.
d) Amount of water and other fluids taken daily.
e) Last blood glucose result obtained by client.
© 2025 All rights reserved
,2
Ans: a) Client's frequency for checking blood glucose.
b) Quantity of Ensure taken per day.
c) Reason for lack of appetite.
d) Amount of water and other fluids taken daily.
The client mentions that he feels "blue" lately because his wife died one year ago,
and his children live out of state and seldom visit. The nurse knows that the greatest
risk for major depression includes which event?
a) Being retired from the military.
b) The realization of growing older.
c) Inability to attend church regularly.
d) Becoming widowed within the past year.
Ans: d) Becoming widowed within the past year.
-
The combinations of sadness, loneliness from losing a loved one in widowhood, and
hopelessness leads to social withdrawal. Those feelings place an older adult at greater
risk of suffering from major depression because older adults are reluctant to adapt to
changes.
Physical Assessment
© 2025 All rights reserved
, 3
Ans: The client is alert and oriented to time and place. He is a pale, thin male, with
shallow respirations. He exhibits some nasal flaring, mild intercostal retractions, and a
productive cough. He leans forward as he sits in a tripod position. Upon auscultation,
the nurse notices wheezing to the right side and diminished breath sounds to the left
side, and his heart rate is slightly elevated. Visual inspection of the client reveals a barrel
chest, mild clubbing of the fingers, and cyanosis to the nail beds. His skin is very warm
and dry to the touch, and an examination reveals decreased skin turgor, and a stage II
decubitus ulcer in the sacral area that scored a 14 on the Braden scale. The client has
mild swelling of the feet and he reports limited mobility related to feeling weak. He
denies allergies to medication or food and denies any pain. He does not have advance
directives.
VITAL SIGNS
Ans: T 101.5° F (38.6° C), HR 110 beats/min, R 20 breaths/min, BP 150/90 mmHg, blood
glucose 200, O2 saturation 88% on room air
MEDICATIONS
Ans: albuterol and ipratropium bromide, meter dose inhalers
diltiazem
furosemide
aspirin 81 mg
metformin
regular insulin (sliding scale)
enoxaparin sodium
PRESCRIPTIONS
© 2025 All rights reserved
