Exam 13: Skin, Hair, and Nails

A few days after a summer hiking trip, a 25-year-old man comes to the clinic with a rash. On examination, the nurse notes that the rash is red, macular, with a bull's eye pattern across his midriff and behind his knees. What does the nurse suspect?

During an examination, the nurse finds that a patient has excessive dryness of the skin. How should the nurse document this finding?

The nurse is examining a patient who tells the nurse, "I sure sweat a lot, especially on my face and feet but it doesn't have an odor." The nurse knows that this is likely r/t a disorder with what part of the body?

A physician has diagnosed a patient with purpura. After leaving the room, a nursing student asks the nurse what the physician saw that led to that diagnosis. What is the best response by the nurse?

A mother has noticed that her son, who has been to a new babysitter, has some blisters and scabs on his face and buttocks. On examination, the nurse notices moist, thin-roofed vesicles with a thin erythematous base. What does the nurse suspect?

A mother brings her 10-year-old daughter into the clinic for an examination of the scalp and hair. She states that the child has developed irregularly shaped patches with broken-off, stublike hair in some places; she is worried that this condition could be some form of premature baldness. What is the best response by the nurse?

A patient tells the nurse that he has noticed that one of his moles has started to burn and bleed. When assessing his skin, the nurse pays special attention to the danger signs for pigmented lesions and is concerned with which additional finding?

A newborn infant has Down syndrome. During the skin assessment, the nurse notices a transient mottling in the trunk and extremities in response to the cool temperature in the examination room. The infant's mother also notices the mottling and asks what it is. What should the nurse tell the mother that this mottling is called?

A 40-year-old woman reports a change in mole size, accompanied by color changes, itching, burning, and bleeding over the past month. She has a dark complexion and has no family history of skin cancer, but she has had many blistering sunburns in the past. What is the best response by the nurse?

The nurse notices that a school-aged child has bluish-white, red-based spots in her mouth that are elevated approximately 1 to 3 mm. What other signs would the nurse expect to find in this patient?

A man has come in to the clinic for a skin assessment because he is worried he might have skin cancer. During the skin assessment the nurse notices several areas of pigmentation that look greasy, dark, and "stuck on" his skin. Which is the best description of these?

While performing an assessment of a 65-year-old man with a history of hypertension and coronary artery disease, the nurse notices the presence of bilateral pitting edema in the lower legs. The skin is puffy and tight but normal in color. No increased redness or tenderness is observed over his lower legs, and the peripheral pulses are equal and strong. In this situation, the nurse suspects that the likely cause of the edema is which condition?

A 42-year-old woman states that she has noticed several small, slightly raised, bright red dots on her chest. On examination, the nurse confirms the presence of these "dots." How should the nurse document these findings?

The nurse is preparing for a certification course on skin care and needs to be familiar with the various lesions that may be identified on assessment of the skin. Which of the following definitions are correct? (Select all that apply.)

A 75-year-old woman who has a history of diabetes and peripheral vascular disease has been trying to remove a corn on the bottom of her foot with a pair of scissors. Why is it important that the nurse encourage her to stop trying to remove the corn with scissors?

The nurse notices that a patient has a solid, elevated, circumscribed lesion that is less than 1 cm in diameter. How should the nurse document this finding?

The nurse is bathing an 80-year-old man and notices that his skin is wrinkled, thin, lax, and dry. This finding would be r/t which factor in the older adult?

A patient has been admitted to a hospital after the staff in the nursing home noticed a pressure ulcer in his sacral area. The nurse examines the pressure ulcer and determines that it is a stage II ulcer. Which of these findings are characteristic of a stage II pressure ulcer? (Select all that apply.)

A semiconscious woman is brought to the emergency department after she was found on the floor in her kitchen. Her face, nail beds, lips, and oral mucosa are a bright cherry-red color. What should the nurse suspect is the likely cause of these findings?

A patient comes in for a physical examination in late July and states that she was "freezing to death" while waiting for her examination. The nurse notes that her skin is pale and cool. What should the nurse understand is the likely cause?