Practice Quiz

CCNS Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist

Category - Adult

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A nurse is coaching a group of student nurses about the anatomy and physiology of the head. The nurse asks one of the students what to do if she observes that there is blood coming from a patient’s ear after a head injury sustained following a motor vehicle collision. The correct response by the student nurse should be:
  1. Cleanse the ear with sterile gauze
  2. Put sterile cotton loosely in the external ear
  3. Turn the patient to the unaffected side
  4. Test the drainage with dextrostix
Explanation
Answer - B - The correct response by the student nurse should be to put sterile cotton loosely in the external ear. This will absorb the drainage without causing further trauma. Additionally, the nurse should notify the attending physician immediately, as this could be a sign of a life threatening condition.
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