Competency-Based Assessments

The nurse is asked to start an IV line at noon and begins infusing 0.9 percent normal saline at 100 mL/h. The patient drinks a cup of juice and consumes a popsicle that has 45 mL of fluid for lunch. At 1530, the nurse assists the patient to the restroom, where she urinates 350 mL of yellow urine. What is the nurse’s calculation of the patient’s fluid status at 1600?

The nurse is caring for an 89-year-old patient who has just experienced open-heart surgery and has a large bandage covering the chest area. How should the nurse assess skin turgor?

The nurse is assisting a hospitalized patient who is under a fluid restriction due to an acute kidney injury to decide when to drink fluids throughout the day. The patient has a 1,200 mL/d fluid restriction. The patient is receiving 50 mL of IVF with his antibiotics three times a day. If he wants to equally spread out his fluid intake, how many milliliters can he drink with each meal and with a bedtime snack?

The nurse is assessing a patient who has a PIC. The patient has generalized edema in the same extremity where the PIC is located, and the nurse is struggling to tell whether the catheter is in the vein. What steps does the nurse take?

A nurse is preparing to give a patient potassium chloride (e.g., K-Lyte) 20 mEq as an oral tablet. The nurse evaluates the patient’s serum laboratory results and notices the patient’s serum potassium level is 4.8 mEq/L. What other information does the nurse assess to determine whether to administer this medication?

Review the competency checklists for this chapter and have a peer or instructor assess your performance of the tasks. You can find the checklists on the Student resources tab of your book page on openstax.org.