Your patient has just been admitted to the surgical unit from the postanesthetic care unit (PACU) following an appendectomy. The patient is complaining of pain, and you are preparing to administer the patient’s first dose of hydrocodone (Norco)., ordered Q4 hours prn.  Prior to administering the drug, you would prioritize which of the following assessments?

Directed by evidence-based practice, the psychiatric nurse minimizes the milieu’s dementia-induced aggressive behavior by

A nurse is preparing to administer amoxicillin 100 mg PO every 8 hr to a toddler who weighs 20 kg. The recommended dosage range is 20 to 25 mg/kg/day. Which of the following actions by the nurse is appropriate?

The nurse is conducting a home visit for a patient with chronic congestive heart failure.  The patient asks what he can do to try and catch worsening CHF before a hospital stay is necessary. The nurse provides patient education and is sure to include which of the following?

A client presents to the clinic reporting new onset of upper GI (gastrointestinal) symptoms. A peptic ulcer is suspected. The nurse knows that in the process of confirming peptic ulcer disease, the health care provider is likely to order a diagnostic test to detect the presence of what?

A client newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus tells the nurse that the diagnosis must be wrong because the client is not overweight, eats all of the time, and is thin. What should the nurse respond to the client?

The nurse is caring for a client experiencing an acute attack of diverticulitis. What is the priority nursing action?  

A patient with emphysema is experiencing shortness of breath. To relieve this patient’s symptoms, the nurse should first:

The nurse is caring for a patient in the postoperative period following an abdominal hysterectomy. The patient states, “I don’t want to use my pain meds because they’ll make me dependent and I won’t get better as fast.” Which response is most important when explaining the use of pain medication?

The nurse is caring for a client with a three day history of nausea and vomiting. The nurse is concerned about dehydration. When reviewing the client’s laboratory values, what would the nurse expect to find?