1. A student nurse is assisting a nurse practitioner in the
clinic today. The student’s assignments include escorting patients
to the examination room; obtaining height, weight, and vital signs;
assessing the level of consciousness; documenting current
medications; and asking a few simple questions regarding the reason
for the clinic visit. The third patient this morning has been very
quiet throughout the assessment even as the student attempts to put
the patient at ease. When the student asks why the patient has come
to the clinic, the patient is nonverbal. What should the student
do?
2. The hospital’s unit secretary prepares a patient chart,
transcribes orders, prepares lab slips and x-ray requests, and
fills out consent forms. When the patient is admitted, an RN signs
the forms. However, the secretary made an error when transcribing
the order and the patient is prepped for the incorrect diagnostic
testing. Who is responsible?
3. A nurse is reviewing the latest lab results for a
44-year-old patient admitted with fever of unknown origin (though
meningitis was ruled out). The lab slip indicates that the
patient’s white blood cell count is elevated. The nurse calls the
physician’s office to discuss the lab results, but the office is
closed and the nurse is asked to leave a voicemail message. What
should the nurse do?
4. An 81-year-old female is brought to the emergency
department by ambulance from an assisted-living facility. An hour
after supper she began feeling short of breath and exhibited a
short shrill sound with each inspiration. For the past couple of
days she had been complaining of numbness in both hands that “seems
to be getting worse.” During the assessment, the student nurse
noted there was involuntary facial muscle twitching. The patient’s
medications were reviewed. When the student asked if she took
anything else, the patient said, “Yes, a teaspoon of baking soda in
a glass of water after meals. It seems my heartburn has been
getting worse and the baking soda really helps. I don’t like to
take medicine.” The physician asked to review the medication list
when the assessment was completed. The student wondered if baking
soda was a medication and if it should be placed on the list.