An assistive personnel (AP) is collecting a 24-hour urine specimen from a patient. Which of the following statements by the AP indicates that the specimen collection will have to be restarted?
- "The patient just told me that he forgot to put the urine in the container."
- “The patient just voided into the toilet, so the next void can be collected."
- "I have the container in a plastic bucket filled with ice."
- "I used a container from the lab that has a preservative in it."
- "The patient just told me that he forgot to put the urine in the container."
If the patient urinates and discards the urine, the timing of the specimen must begin again with the next urination.
A nurse is collecting a blood specimen for culture from a patient hospitalized for pneumonia. During this procedure, the nurse should.
- rub the patient's arm at the selected site prior to venipuncture.
- elevate the patient's arm above heart level for the venipuncture.
- puncture the selected vein while the antiseptic solution is still visible on the skin
- .keep the tourniquet in place from selection of the vein to completion of the collection.
.Stroking the arm from the distal area to the proximal area below the proposed site can help dilate the vein, but vigorous rubbing should be avoided due to the potential for injury.
A nurse is caring for a female patient who needs to collect a midstream urine specimen. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?
- Have the patient urinate a small amount of urine before starting the collection.
- Give the patient a clean urine cup from the laboratory.
- Instruct the patient to cleanse the perineal area from back to front.
- Tell the patient to collect about 10 mL of urine.
.Urinating a small amount before the collection helps cleanse the urethral meatus of any bacteria that may be present.
A nurse caring for a group of patients in an ambulatory care clinic is collecting urine for several prescribed diagnostic tests. For which of the following tests is a random sample voided into a clean cup appropriate?
- Routine urinalysis
- Urine culture and sensitivity
- Urine creatinine clearance
- Urine pregnancy testing
Routine urinalysis can be done on a random clean voided specimen collected during normal voiding into a clean urine cup.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has stage III pressure ulcer int he sacral area. Which of the following actions should the nurse take when obtaining a wound culture specimen from the pressure ulcer?
- Wipe the crusty area around the outside of the wound with a sterile swab.
- Irrigate the wound with an antiseptic solution before collecting the specimen.
- Rotate a sterile swab in the area of drainage.
- Collect drainage from the wound dressing.
.Rotating a swab in the center of the wound base to collect drainage is the appropriate technique for collecting a specimen for wound culture. It is important to avoid the wound’s edges when collecting the specimen.
At 0700, a nurse obtains a capillary blood glucose result of 18 mg/dL from a patient who has diabetes mellitus. Which of the following is a correct action for the nurse to take?
- Administer insulin according to the patient's sliding scale orders.
- Give the patient a glass of orange juice.
- Encourage the patient to get up and exercise.
- Repeat the test using a different glucometer.
A reading above the expected range warrants following the provider’s orders for sliding scale insulin based on the specific result..
A nurse for a patient who has diabetes mellitus is having difficulty obtaining a capillary fingerstick blood sample for point-out-care glucose testing. To help increase blood flow to the finger, the nurse should
- wrap the finger in a warm cloth.
- elevate the hand on a pillow.
- pierce the skin in the middle of the finger pad.
- firmly milk the puncture site.
.Heat helps increase blood flow to the area to be punctured.
A nurse is instructing a patient regarding collection of stool specimens for fecal blood testing. Which of the following should the nurse instruct the patient to avoid a few days before and during the testing period to help reduce the risk of false-positive results?
- Vitamin E supplements
- Calcium supplements
- Poultry
- Yogurt
- Poultry
Red meat, poultry, seafood, and some raw vegetables can cause false-positive fecal occult blood testing results.
A nurse is teaching a patient about home collection of a stool speciment for fecal occult blood testing. Which of the following instructions should the nurse provide?
- Eat a diet low in fiber and residue.
- Obtain specimens from three different stools.
- Refrigerate the specimen card after obtaining the first sample.
- Avoid foods that are high in fat.
The three specimens must be taken from three separate, consecutive bowel movements.
A nurse is caring for a patient who has a suspected urinary tract infection (UTI). Which of the following urinalysis results should indicate to the nurse the presence of a UTI?
pH of 6.0
Trace amount of protein
Specific gravity of 1.010
- WBC count of 8,000/mm3
.A white blood cell count above the expected reference range of 0 to 4,000/mm3 indicates urinary tract infection.