Level: Clinical
Difficulty: Medium
Subtopic: Opioids and pain medications
NCLEX: A 34-year-old client on a telemetry unit is being evaluated for opioid analgesia after surgery. Assessment data i…
Pharmacology Pharmacological and Parenteral Therapies
Case Study
A 34-year-old client on a telemetry unit is being evaluated for opioid analgesia after surgery. Assessment data include the client reports nausea and vomiting after taking a new oral medication. Which error is most dangerous on the NCLEX and in practice?
Question
A. Choosing an intervention before identifying assessment cues and immediate safety risk.
B. Teaching the client after stability is confirmed.
C. Reassessing the client after an appropriate intervention.
D. Using SBAR to notify the provider about abnormal findings.
B. Teaching the client after stability is confirmed.
C. Reassessing the client after an appropriate intervention.
D. Using SBAR to notify the provider about abnormal findings.
Rationale
Correct answer: A. Choosing an intervention before identifying assessment cues and immediate safety risk.
Rationale: The most dangerous NCLEX trap is treating before assessing, which can miss life-threatening deterioration.
Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.
Rationale: The most dangerous NCLEX trap is treating before assessing, which can miss life-threatening deterioration.
Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.