A nurse on the postpartum floor is caring for a new mother of twins. Review of daily laboratory results reveals a hemoglobin of 8.6 and hematocrit of 24.8. The doctor has ordered the supplement ferrous sulfate (iron) 325 mg by mouth daily for six weeks. The nurse is giving the patient discharge instructions. The nurse should include which of the following when discussing the iron supplement?

A nurse on a medical unit is assigned patients with acid-base irregularities. While caring for a patient with gastric lavage or prolonged vomiting, the nurse should assess for

A 21-year-old male is brought to the ED due to overdose of heroin. His respiratory rate is 5-6 and he is unresponsive. Prior to administration of naloxone, an arterial blood gas is obtained. The nurse anticipates which of the following results?

A 5-year-old boy was admitted due to abdominal pain and diarrhea. Physical exam shows that the child has poor skin turgor and dry mucous membranes. Blood tests were ordered and the nurse expects that

A nurse is caring for a patient who is 4 days post-burn. His edema is beginning to decrease and he has been diuresing for the last 36 hours. Which of the following should the nurse monitor for in the fluid mobilization phase?

The ED nurse is caring for a client with type 1 diabetes who was brought in by ambulance after losing consciousness. Upon assessment, the client's breath was noted to be fruity. Which of the following ABG results would the nurse expect?

A nurse on the cardiac step-down unit is preparing to discharge a patient with congestive heart failure. The nurse will educate the patient prior to discharge on strategies to prevent fluid volume excess. The nurse should include which of the following in the teaching?

A 17-year-old patient presents to the ER with complaints of increased thirst and urination over 2 days. The doctor orders a urinalysis and basic metabolic panel. The nurse collects a brief history from the patient and is told about a "blow to the head" during football practice 3 days earlier. Based on this information, the nurse knows what statement regarding this patient is true?

A patient who has undergone surgery for removal of the parathyroid gland states that he is experiencing muscle twitching and spasms. The physician orders blood tests to confirm the diagnosis. The nurse expects that

An emergency room nurse is evaluating laboratory results of a 62-year-old patient who presented to the ED with complaints of shortness of breath for 2 days. The nurse notes that the troponin level is 1.26 ng/mL which indicates which of the following? 

A nurse on the medical-surgical floor is caring for a patient with acute renal failure. While assessing the patient, the nurse notes cold, clammy skin and a rapid pulse. The patient has complaints of twitching and dizziness. The nurse then reviews the patient's laboratory results and notes a sodium level of 125 mEq/L. The nurse knows which of the following to be true?

The nurse is caring for a patient with metabolic alkalosis who was transferred without lab data or the H&P. Which of the following is a potential cause of metabolic alkalosis?

A nurse is caring for a patient with chronic kidney disease who receives hemodialysis. The routine daily laboratory studies reveal a potassium level of 5.2 mEq/L. The nurse knows the patient is at risk for which of the following? 

A patient in the emergency room was admitted due to hypertension with a blood pressure of 160/100 mmHg. Blood test shows potassium level is at 5.5 mEq/L, calcium is 9.2 mg/dl, sodium is 139, and the ECG results show irregular cardiac rhythm. Which imbalance is the patient experiencing?

A nurse on the medical surgical floor is caring for a patient who is postoperative day 5 after 2-vessel coronary artery bypass graft. Upon reviewing the patient's daily laboratory results, the nurse notes that the serum creatinine level is 1.9 mg/dL, and the BUN (blood urea nitrogen) level is 32 mg/dL. The nurse reviews the patient's urine output which was 630 mL over the last 24 hours. Which of the following should the nurse do next? 

The nurse is assessing a difficult-to-obtain blood pressure with a manual cuff. After inflating it and listening for a while, the nurse immediately tries again. During the second attempt, while the cuff is still inflated, the patient's hand and forearm spasms and the fingers adduct involuntarily. The nurse recognizes this sign as a possible sign of which of the following?

While educating a patient on lifestyle changes to decrease total cholesterol, the nurse tells the patient that the goal for total cholesterol is less than

A nurse is assessing a patient twenty minutes after a lumbar puncture. The patient reports 6/10 lower back pain that is tender on palpation and motor weakness in both legs.  Which is the appropriate intervention?

The nurse reviews the lab results of a patient at risk for thrombocytopenia. The patient's platelet count is 175,000 cells/mm³. The next appropriate action by the nurse is to