The nurse is caring for a patient with a new diagnosis of Guillian-Barré syndrome. What does the nurse expect to find when assessing this patient?
Increased muscle weakness
Pronounced muscle atrophy
Diminished visual acuity
Impaired cognitive reasoning
The Correct Answer is A
A) Increased muscle weakness: Guillain-Barré syndrome is characterized by the rapid onset of muscle weakness, which typically starts in the lower extremities and ascends. The nurse would expect to find varying degrees of muscle weakness as a hallmark symptom, which may progress to involve the upper limbs and respiratory muscles.
B) Pronounced muscle atrophy: While muscle weakness is a significant feature of Guillain-Barré syndrome, pronounced muscle atrophy is not typically seen immediately. Muscle atrophy may occur over time due to disuse but is not a direct initial finding upon assessment.
C) Diminished visual acuity: Visual acuity may not be directly affected in Guillain-Barré syndrome. While some patients may experience ocular symptoms, diminished visual acuity is not a primary feature of the syndrome and would not be expected as a common assessment finding.
D) Impaired cognitive reasoning: Guillain-Barré syndrome primarily affects the peripheral nervous system and does not usually impact cognitive function. Patients typically maintain full cognitive abilities, so the nurse should not anticipate findings
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Correct Answer is D
Explanation
A) "Would you like to discuss this with the doctor?": This response may imply that the nurse is not equipped to handle the emotional aspect of the conversation, potentially minimizing the client's feelings and discouraging further sharing.
B) "How long were you married?": While this question seeks to gather more information, it does not directly address the client's emotional experience or feelings related to their wife's death, which is the primary concern in this context.
C) "What type of cancer did your wife have?": This question may shift the focus to medical details rather than the client's emotional state, which is crucial in a therapeutic conversation about grief and loss.
D) "How does that make you feel?": This response is the most therapeutic as it invites the client to express their emotions and thoughts about their loss. It acknowledges their pain and encourages them to explore their feelings, which is essential for processing grief.
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
A) Listen for another minute just to be sure: While it is important to confirm findings, simply listening for another minute may not provide enough time to accurately assess bowel sounds, as they can be infrequent or absent in certain conditions.
B) Contact the physician as this is a surgical emergency: Not hearing bowel sounds for a minute is not immediately indicative of a surgical emergency. It’s essential to gather more information before escalating the situation.
C) Auscultate for another 4 minutes: This is the appropriate action, as the nurse should auscultate for a total of 5 minutes (1 minute initially and then 4 more minutes) to adequately assess bowel sounds. This duration allows for the detection of normal, hypoactive, or absent bowel sounds, which can provide critical information about the client’s gastrointestinal function.
D) Listen posteriorly for enhanced bowel sounds: While listening from different positions may sometimes help, the standard practice is to listen for an appropriate duration before changing techniques. Auscultating for a longer period is more clinically relevant in this scenario.