A nurse who works in a rural hospital has become frustrated and ...

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A nurse who works in a rural hospital has become frustrated and disillusioned at the steady increases in nurse to patient ratios at the same time that patient acuity has increased.
 
  When planning to address this issue with the hospital's leadership, the nurse should cite which
  of the following statements about increased nurse to patient ratios?
 
  A) Increased nurse to patient ratios are associated with a decline in patient outcomes.
  B) Reality shock is more common and severe when there are increased nurse to patient ratios.
  C) An increased nurse to patient ratio increases the incidence of disruptive behavior in hospital
  settings.
  D) Discrimination and stress increase when there is an increase in nurse to patient ratios.

Question 2

A nurse was helping a colleague boost a patient higher in his bed she felt sudden pain in her lumbar region. How should the nurse follow up this event?
 
  A) Make an appointment with a physician and document the injury if there are significant
  results.
  B) Have a trusted colleague perform a musculoskeletal assessment and monitor the nurse's
  range of motion for the remainder of the shift.
  C) Go home immediately and take enough sick time to allow her back to recover completely
  before returning to work.
  D) Document the event as soon as possible using the hospital's designated forms.

[nekcihc358]

Answer to Question 1

Ans: A
Increased nurse to patient ratios have been shown to result in decreased patient
outcomes. There are other deleterious effects on nurses, including reality shock and stress, but
patient outcomes should be the primary consideration.

Answer to Question 2

Ans: D
A nurse who suspects an injury should report the event promptly using the
appropriate paperwork. A common error is to delay reporting in the belief that you should
report something only if you know it will be serious or require medical care. It is insufficient to
leave work without documenting the event or to rely on a colleague's assessment and care.

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Excellent

[cpetit11]

TYSM