Prioritizing! Help!

[JillFRN]

We just had our midterm. I am in my senior year and I did pretty well on it. The only questions I struggled on were which pt do I see first. I tried following ABC's and that ended me up in the wrong room! How do I get a better grasp on this?

[DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN]

I think you may want to give a couple of examples so the experienced people know where you went off track (by the way I am not one of those experienced people).

Good luck.

[JillFRN]

well we are not allowed to keep our exams only just review them so I do not remember the questions off hand. I remember one was a 12 yr old with expiratory wheezes and then 4 month old with vomiting. The other two were easily eliminated. I picked the wheezes, even though I know asthma always produces exp. Wheezes I went with it bc it was an airway issue and it was wrong

[itsmejuli]

With asthma the patient is still breathing, although wheezing. Think breathing

The infant with vomitting is at serious risk of aspiration, this is priority. Think airway

The logic?

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Do lots of practice NCLEX style questions on prioritizing from Saunders book or Prentice Hall, I like both.

[JillFRN]

This seems to clear that up. I wish I could remember the other questions. I will get a book, I have Lippincott, but there are no Priority ones in there. Thanks for the help!

With asthma the patient is still breathing, although wheezing. Think breathing

The infant with vomitting is at serious risk of aspiration, this is priority. Think airway

The logic?

Airway

Breathing

Circulation

Do lots of practice NCLEX style questions on prioritizing from Saunders book or Prentice Hall, I like both.