Medical Tests Medical Tests Certifications CEN Questions & Answers

• Question 121:

  A hurricane is coming, and nurses have been activated to open a shelter. What items should the public be encouraged to bring to the shelter?

  A. Food and clothing

  B. Cats and dogs

  C. Medication and records

  D. Radios, televisions and other electronics

  Correct Answer: C

  The public should be encouraged to bring all medications and medical records to the shelter. Space will be

  limited at the shelter so they should not bring food, clothing or any type of electronics.

  Animals will not be allowed at the shelter.

• Question 122:

  Which of the following would the nurse avoid documenting when an error has occurred with a patient?

  A. Names of witnesses

  B. Interventions performed

  C. Physician notified

  D. Incident report submitted

  Correct Answer: D

  The nurse would avoid documenting in the patient's record that an incident report has been submitted. The medical record belongs to the patient and should include all information related to the incident. The incident report belongs to the hospital and should not be referred to in the medical record. Incident reports are used to examine the issue and improve the quality of care for all patients.

• Question 123:

  You are caring for a patient who has decided to discontinue treatment. You recognize that the patient is competent to make this decision and support the decision based on which of the following ethical principles?

  A. Justice

  B. Fidelity

  C. Autonomy

  D. Confidentiality

  Correct Answer: C

  The patient has the right to make this decision based on the ethical principal of autonomy. Justice refers to fairness. Fidelity has to do with trust and loyalty, and confidentiality refers to the right to privacy of personal information.

• Question 124:

  Which of the following consent process will need to be followed for an 86-year-old patient going to surgery?

  A. Give the patient time to process information.

  B. Family members should make decision.

  C. Ask patient to respond immediately so he does not forget.

  D. Give the patient reading material about surgery and postoperative instructions.

  Correct Answer: A

  The nurse should give the older patient time to process the information. The other options are not appropriate for this patient because the patient should be allowed to make their own decisions if able, not be rushed and provided written instructions in addition to time to process.

• Question 125:

  You are caring for a heart failure patient who suddenly developed symptoms that include shortness of breath, increased respiratory rate, bilateral crackles and frothy sputum. You have notified the physician and received orders for the patient. Which activity would be appropriate to delegate to a licensed practical nurse?

  A. Start an IV.

  B. Check vital signs every 15 minutes.

  C. Morphine sulfate 2mg IV push

  D. Insert a foley catheter.

  Correct Answer: D

  The RN should delegate the task to the LPN that does not require assessment. Inserting the foley catheter is the least likely to require immediate assessment. The RN should insert the IV and immediately give IV medications. Vital signs that are taken on a deteriorating patient should be taken by the RN so that immediate assessment can be made.

• Question 126:

  Which of the following patients should be assigned a pediatric nurse assigned to float to your unit?

  A. A 32-year-old with diabetes in need of teaching and medications

  B. A 56-year-old with Guillain-barre with leg weakness

  C. A 86-year-old with dementia from a skilled nursing home

  D. A 59-year-old postoperative patient following TURP procedure

  Correct Answer: A

  The pediatric nurse should be able to complete care on a 32-year-old diabetic patient. The other patients on the list all have illnesses that are mainly adult illnesses, and the pediatric nurse may not know how to complete the care on those patients.

• Question 127:

  You are working on the postpartum unit today. Which task would you assign to a beginning nursing student?

  A. Ambulate a patient.

  B. Complete an admission assessment.

  C. Notify the physician of adverse labs.

  D. Verify a unit of blood.

  Correct Answer: A

  The only activity the nursing student can complete is to walk the patient. All other tasks must be completed by an RN. The RN is responsible for any tasks the nursing student completes and should only delegate unlicensed skills to the student.

• Question 128:

  A nurse from the surgical care unit has been floated to your unit for the day. Which of the following patients would you want to assign to this nurse?

  A. Exacerbation of heart failure

  B. Diabetes Type II, new onset

  C. Emergency appendectomy

  D. Thyrotoxicosis

  Correct Answer: C

  The nurse from the surgical care unit should be comfortable taking care of an emergency appendectomy patient. This nurse should be most comfortable with pre- and post-operative patients; therefore, the nurse should choose to give him or her those patients if available.

• Question 129:

  You will be working with an unlicensed staff member this shift. Which of the following should be priority before delegating care to the staff member?

  A. Assessing whether the staff member is competent to perform the skill

  B. Preparing written instructions on how to perform skill

  C. Gathering supplies

  D. Informing the patient that an unlicensed staff member will perform the care

  Correct Answer: A

  The RN should assess the unlicensed staff member's competency to complete the task assigned to them before delegating. Written instructions are not necessary if the staff is competent to complete the skill. Supplies will need to be gathered once an assignment is made. The staff member performing the procedure needs to give his or her name and title to the patient before performing the task.

• Question 130:

  You are caring for a patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). You have an unlicensed staff member working with you. Which activity can you delegate to the unlicensed staff?

  A. Teach the patient about weight loss.

  B. Explore any concerns about managing the disease.

  C. Explain why the patient needs eat several small meals a day.

  D. Instruct the patient to remain upright for 2 hours following a meal.

  Correct Answer: D

  The unlicensed staff member can instruct the patient to remain upright for 2 hours following a meal. Therapeutic counseling and communication are not within the scope of practice of unlicensed staff members. Assessment and teaching are the responsibility of the RN and can not be delegated.