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10.7.3: What Should the Nurse Do?
Opening the book…
What Should the Nurse Do?
An emergency department nurse is caring for a patient who presents with shortness of breath. The patient reports that she was walking around the house and suddenly “couldn’t catch my breath.” She also reports that she forgot to take her “water pill” for the last week and feels like she has gained a few pounds because of it.
1 .
Based on the information provided, what condition do you think the patient has? What information led you to this conclusion?
2 .
What assessments should you perform on the patient?
3 .
What orders do you anticipate from the provider for this patient?
4 .
What outcomes would indicate that the orders were successful?
A nurse is caring for Ms. Chen, a 62-year-old female who presents to the emergency department after experiencing 2 days of severe nausea and vomiting. The patient also reports muscle cramping and excessive fatigue. After obtaining an ECG, the nurse notices the presence of U waves.
5 .
Which electrolyte imbalance should the nurse suspect on the basis of the patient’s presentation and assessment findings?
6 .
What other signs and symptoms should the nurse assess for?
7 .
What treatment(s) and intervention(s) should the nurse anticipate?
8 .
What patient outcomes would indicate the treatments or interventions were effective?
A nurse is caring for Mr. Johnson, a 74-year-old male who presents to the emergency department with a COPD exacerbation. Upon assessment, the nurse notices that the patient is becoming more lethargic, and his oxygen saturation is only 87% despite being on 4 liters of supplemental oxygen. ABG results are as follows:
pH: 7.24
PaCO2: 60 mm Hg
HCO3−: 25 mEq/L
9 .
Which acid-base imbalance should the nurse suspect on the basis of the patient’s presentation and assessment findings?
10 .
What other symptoms should the nurse assess for?
11 .
What treatment(s) and intervention(s) should the nurse anticipate?
12 .
What patient outcomes would indicate the treatments or interventions were effective?