Exam 35: Nursing Management: Heart Failure

A patient with a history of chronic heart failure is admitted to the emergency department ( ED ) with severe dyspnea and a dry, hacking cough. Which action should the nurse take first?

Which diagnostic test will be most useful to the nurse in determining whether a patient admitted with acute shortness of breath has heart failure?

A patient who has just been admitted with pulmonary edema is scheduled to receive these medications. Which medication should the nurse question?

During a visit to a 72-year-old with chronic heart failure, the home care nurse finds that the patient has ankle edema, a 2-kg weight gain, and complains of "feeling too tired to do anything." Based on these data, the best nursing diagnosis for the patient is

A patient with heart failure has a new order for captopril (Capoten) 12.5 mg PO. After administering the first dose and teaching the patient about captopril, which statement by the patient indicates that teaching has been effective?

After receiving change-of-shift report, which of these patients admitted with heart failure should the nurse assess first?

During assessment of a 72-year-old with ankle swelling, the nurse notes jugular venous distention ( JVD ) with the head of the patient's bed elevated 45 degrees. The nurse knows this finding indicates

When teaching the patient with heart failure about a 2000-mg sodium diet, the nurse explains that foods to be restricted include

While admitting an 80-year-old with heart failure to the hospital, the nurse learns that the patient lives alone and sometimes confuses the "water pill" with the "heart pill." When planning for the patient's discharge the nurse will facilitate

Which action will the nurse include in the plan of care when caring for a patient admitted with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) who is receiving nesiritide (Natrecor)?

A patient in the intensive care unit with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) complains of severe dyspnea and is anxious, tachypneic, and tachycardic. All these medications have been ordered for the patient. The first action by the nurse will be to

The nurse working in the heart failure clinic will know that teaching for a 74-year-old patient with newly diagnosed heart failure has been effective when the patient

A patient who has chronic heart failure tells the nurse, "I felt fine when I went to bed, but I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I was suffocating!" The nurse will document this assessment information as

Following an acute myocardial infarction, a previously healthy 67-year-old develops clinical manifestations of heart failure. The nurse anticipates discharge teaching will include information about

The nurse plans discharge teaching for a patient with chronic heart failure who has prescriptions for digoxin (Lanoxin) and hydrochlorothiazide (HydroDIURIL). Appropriate instructions for the patient include

A patient with chronic heart failure who has prescriptions for a diuretic, an ACE-inhibitor, and a low-sodium diet tells the home health nurse about a 5-pound weight gain in the last 3 days. The nurse's first action will be to

A 55-year-old with Stage D heart failure and type 2 diabetes asks the nurse whether heart transplant is a possible therapy. Which response by the nurse is appropriate?

Which topic will the nurse plan to include in discharge teaching for a patient with systolic heart failure and an ejection fraction of 38%?

An outpatient who has heart failure returns to the clinic after 2 weeks of therapy with carvedilol (Coreg). Which of these assessment findings is most important for the nurse to report to the health care provider?

The nurse is caring for a patient who is receiving IV furosemide (Lasix) and morphine for the treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) with severe orthopnea. When evaluating the patient response to the medications, the best indicator that the treatment has been effective is