A nurse is collecting a health history from a patient admitted with chest pain. To best clarify the chief complaint, which question should the nurse ask first?

When collecting a surgical history from a patient who reports a prior abdominal surgery, the nurse should follow up by asking which of the following?

A 72-year-old patient is admitted following a fall at home. During the health history, the patient states, “I just felt dizzy and went down.” Which follow-up question is most important for the nurse to ask next?

A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease presents reporting that her breathing is “worse than usual.” To accurately establish a baseline for comparison, the nurse should ask which question?

A nurse interviews a patient who reports intermittent abdominal pain for the past three weeks. The patient denies nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Which additional history element is most critical to obtain to guide the initial differential?

A nurse is developing a plan of care for a patient with a new diagnosis of heart failure. Which goal statement is written correctly as a measurable patient outcome?

A nurse creates a care plan intervention for a patient at risk for pressure injuries. Which statement best represents a correctly written nursing intervention?

A patient recovering from a right total hip arthroplasty is discharged on postoperative day 2. On the first home visit, the home health nurse finds the patient ambulating without a prescribed walker and bending forward past 90 degrees to pick up items from the floor. Which action should the nurse take first?

A nurse is updating the care plan for a patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who has not met the goal of ambulating 100 feet three times per day by day 3. The patient reports severe fatigue. Which modification is most appropriate?

A nurse is evaluating outcomes for a patient with a surgical wound infection. The initial goal stated that the wound edges would be approximated with no drainage by day 5. On day 5, the wound has minimal serous drainage and edges are partially approximated. What is the most appropriate nursing action?

A medical-surgical nurse enters the room of a postoperative patient who is visibly crying. Which response best demonstrates therapeutic communication?

A patient’s family member requests that the nurse not tell the patient about a newly confirmed cancer diagnosis because “he can’t handle it.” Which action by the nurse is most consistent with patient-centered care?

While educating a patient about a new insulin regimen, the nurse notices the patient repeatedly nodding but is unable to answer any return-demonstration questions. Which technique should the nurse use next?

A patient tells the nurse, “I know I should take my blood pressure medication, but I just keep forgetting.” Which nurse response best applies motivational interviewing principles?

A patient with a terminal diagnosis is meeting with the nurse and says, “I’m not sure I want to keep doing all these treatments.” The nurse responds by saying nothing and maintaining comfortable eye contact while nodding slowly. Which technique is the nurse using?