Exam 46: Nursing Care of Patients With Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders

The nurse observes a petechial rash and respiratory distress in a patient recovering from a fractured femur.What should these findings suggest to the nurse?

The nurse is evaluating teaching provided to a patient with gout.Which patient menu selection indicates that additional teaching is required?

The nurse is caring for a patient who had a closed reduction of the ulna with a cast applied.Later the patient reports left arm pain.What should the nurse do first?

A patient with a casted,fractured left leg asks why the leg has to be elevated.What should the nurse respond to this patient?

The nurse finds a 2-day postoperative patient who had a right total hip replacement lying supine with crossed legs.What data should the nurse collect on this patient?

The nurse reinforces medication teaching provided to a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.Which medication should the patient identify as helpful to control the symptoms of the health problem?

A patient in the ambulatory clinic is diagnosed with a muscle strain.What actions should the nurse instruct the patient to do to treat this injury? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse sees a neighbor fall and fracture a leg.What should the nurse do first for the neighbor?

The nurse is contributing to the plan of care for a patient who is scheduled for a below-the-knee amputation.What nursing diagnosis should be recommended for the preoperative plan of care?

The nurse checks a patient's casted right leg resting upon a pillow and finds that the cast appears too tight.What should the nurse do?

A patient asks the difference between osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.What manifestations should the nurse explain are characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse is collecting data from a patient suspected of developing a fat embolus from a fracture of the right femur.Which manifestations should the nurse expect? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse is caring for a patient with gout.Which laboratory value should the nurse review which indicates that the treatment plan is effective?

The nurse is reinforcing teaching provided to a patient who is postmenopausal,has lost 2 inches of height,and has osteoporosis.Which patient statement indicates correct understanding of the purpose of calcium supplements?

The nurse is assisting in the development of an educational seminar on prevention of osteoporosis for a group of community members.Which actions should the nurse suggest be included in this presentation? (Select all that apply.)

A patient 48 hours after surgery for a fractured femoral shaft is experiencing mental confusion,tachycardia,tachypnea,and dyspnea.The patient's blood pressure is elevated and petechiae are present on the chest.After reporting the findings to the RN what should the nurse do while awaiting the physician's specific orders? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse is reviewing data collected during the health history for a patient with osteoporosis.What should the nurse identify as a risk factor for osteoporosis development?

The nurse is contributing to the plan of care for a patient recovering from total hip replacement.Which exercises should the nurse recommend to help prevent deep vein thrombosis (DVT)formation? (Select all that apply.)

The nurse is contributing to the plan of care for a patient who has an upper extremity amputation.Why should the nurse keep in mind that this type of amputation can be more debilitating than a lower extremity amputation when planning care?

A patient has an open reduction of a radial fracture and is casted.Several hours after the operation,the patient reports a throbbing pain in the arm.What nursing action is essential for the nurse to take?