What would you have answered?

[tbell2]

We had our first test in Med-Surg test last week. There was one question that had me and some of my classmates wondering. Let me know what you guys think

You are the recieving nurse accepting a patient to a med-surg floor from the PACU. What is the first thing you do?

A Check patient's level of consciousness

B See if patient's family is present

C Check patient's vital signs

D Order the patient dinner

For the record, I got the question wrong, asked the teacher the rationale and I am fine with it, although I still disagree. I am not going to fight a losing battle.

[elb252]

Well, last semester for my Med/Surg course, I believe I had a similar question on one of my very first tests...

Would it be A? (although I'd laugh if someone suggested D :-D )

[STL2008, RN]

hmm... im thinking either A or C. Maybe C more.

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

I'd choose A. I think that gives the most information about his or her status.

[shrimpchips, LPN]

I am leaning more toward C. what was the correct answer?

[FireStarterRN, BSN, RN]

I would have checked the level of consciousness. You could do that easily as you are starting to get the VS.

[midnight*sky]

I would have gone with A personally, but it may also be C. What is it?

[cursedandblessed]

I'm going with A.

My rationale: I come into patients room to check vitals they appear to be sleeping I gently shake their arm tell them who I am and explain what I'm going to do. If they don't arouse LOC then there is a problem.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

A/C/B/D

safety, ABCs......comfort, ie family and food

actually maybe reverse the las two.....

[Destination1]

I'm going with C.

Isn't it more important to know the patient is breathing and

has a pulse than whether or not he/she is conscious at first?

once that's determined worry about why he/she isn't conscious?

[Natingale, EdD, RN]

tray is out the question though, it doesnt say what type of surgery and normally you have to wait for bowel sounds to return

i want to say vital signs. i thought one of the criteria for the patient to leave pacu is that theyre LOC returned back to baseline (I dont even know if that makes sense) And they stressed respiratory

What is the answer, youre killing us here ! lol

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

you are the receiving nurse accepting a patient to a med-surg floor from the pacu. what is the first thing you do?

a. check patient's level of consciousness

b. see if patient's family is present

c. check patient's vital signs

d. order the patient dinner

upon receiving a patient who has had significant changes in their condition (surgery) you always institute the nursing process, step #1, and assess. that eliminates choices b and d. which physiological need is going to kill the patient first if impeded (this comes from maslow's hierarchy of needs - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs)? breathing in oxygen. you also need to know that during surgery the anesthesiologist administers drugs and gasses that result in the alteration of consciousness. assessing the level of consciousness is done in the pacu using something called the aldrete score which measures consciousness, activity on command, respiration, circulation (blood pressure) and oxygen saturation. a patient doesn't leave the pacu without an aldrete score of 9 out of a possible 10. answer choice a is eliminated since it doesn't involve immediate assessment of oxygenation and because an altered level of consciousness is expected immediately after surgery. the answer is c. check patient's vital signs since checking the vital signs will give immediate feedback on the patient's respiratory, circulation and oxygenation status.