Registered Nurse Flashcards
7 cards from real RN practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Registered Nurse flashcards as text
A patient with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is at risk for hyperkalemia. Which food should the nurse instruct the patient to avoid?
Answer: Bananas and oranges
Bananas and oranges are high-potassium foods that can worsen hyperkalemia in CKD patients whose kidneys cannot excrete excess potassium.
A nurse is caring for a patient in alcohol withdrawal. Which medication does the nurse anticipate the provider will order to prevent seizures?
Answer: Lorazepam
Benzodiazepines such as lorazepam are the first-line treatment for alcohol withdrawal because they cross-react with GABA receptors and prevent withdrawal seizures.
A nurse is caring for a patient with a chest tube connected to water-seal drainage. The nurse observes continuous bubbling in the water-seal chamber. What does this indicate?
Answer: Air leak in the system or lung
Continuous (not intermittent) bubbling in the water-seal chamber indicates an air leak from either the patient's lung or the drainage system connections.
A patient with heart failure is prescribed furosemide 40 mg IV. Which laboratory value should the nurse assess before and after administration?
Answer: Serum potassium
Furosemide is a loop diuretic that causes significant potassium wasting; hypokalemia can lead to dangerous cardiac dysrhythmias.
A nurse is providing discharge teaching to a patient prescribed warfarin. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further teaching?
Answer: 'I will take ibuprofen instead of acetaminophen for pain.'
NSAIDs like ibuprofen inhibit platelet aggregation and displace warfarin from protein-binding sites, significantly increasing bleeding risk.
A nurse is assessing a patient who has been in a house fire. The patient's lips appear cherry-red. Which condition does the nurse suspect?
Answer: Carbon monoxide poisoning
Cherry-red skin and mucous membranes are a classic sign of carbon monoxide poisoning because carboxyhemoglobin gives blood a bright red color.
A postpartum patient develops a fever of 100.8°F (38.2°C) on day 3 after a vaginal delivery. Which assessment finding is most concerning for endometritis?
Answer: Foul-smelling lochia with uterine tenderness on palpation
Foul-smelling lochia combined with uterine tenderness and fever after delivery are hallmark signs of endometritis, a uterine infection requiring antibiotic treatment.