Eye Health Questions (NCLEX 51-55)

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51. The nurse has an order to administer two opthalmic medications to the client who has undergone eye surgery. The nurse waits how many minutes after administering the first medication before giving the second?

a) 1 to 2
b) 3 to 5
c) 8 to 10
d) it is not necessary to wait; the second medication can be administered immediately

52. The nurse is assigned to care for a client who has just undergone cataract surgery. The nurse plans to instruct the client that which of the following activities is permitted in the postoperative period?

a) bending over
b) lifting objects
c) coughing exercises
d) watching television

53. During a routine visit to the physician's office for monitoring of diabetic control, an older client with diabetes mellitus complains to the nurse of vision changes. The client describes blurring of vision with difficulty in reading and with driving at night. Given the history, the nurse interprets that the client is probably developing:

a) cataracts
b) glaucoma
c) papilledema
d) detached retina

54. A client arrives at the emergency room with a chemical burn of the left eye. The nurse immediately:

a) applies a light bandage to the eye
b) performs an assessment on the client
c) applies a cold compress to the injured eye
d) flushes the eye continuously with a sterile solution

55. The home care nurse visits an older client with arthritis. The client complains of difficulty instilling glaucoma eye drops because of shaking hands caused by the arthritis. Which instruction should the nurse plans to provide to the client to alleviate this problem?

a) tilt the head back to instill the eye drops
b) lie down on a bed or sofa to instill the eye drops
c) a family member will have to instill the eye drops
d) keep the eye drops in the refrigerator so that they will thicken and be easier to instill







Eye Health Questions
Answers and Rationale

51) B

- The nurse waits 3 to 5 minutes between administration of the two separate ophthalmic medications. This allows for adequate ocular absorption of the medication and prevents the second medication from flushing out the first.

52) D

- The client is taught to avoid activities that raise intraocular pressure and could cause complications in the postoperative period. The client is also taught to avoid activities that cause rapid eye movements that are irritating in the presence of postoperative inflammation. For these reasons, the client is taught to avoid bending over, lifting heavy objects, straining, sneezing, coughing, making sudden movements, or reading. Watching television is permissible because the eye does not need to move rapidly with this activity, and it does not increase the intraocular pressure.

53) A

- Although the incidence of cataracts increases with age, the older client with diabetes mellitus is at greater risk for developing cataracts. The most frequent complaint is blurred vision that is not accompanied by pain. The client may also experience difficulty with reading, night driving, and glare. Options B, C, and D are not directly associated with this client's history or complaints.

54) D

- When the client has suffered a chemical burn of the eye, the nurse immediately flushes the site with a sterile solution continuously for 15 minutes. If a sterile eye irrigation solution is not available, running water may be used. Performing an assessment may be helpful but is not the priority action. Applying compresses or bandages is incorrect, because they do not rid the eye of the damaging chemical. Cold compresses are used for blows to the eye, whereas light bandages may be placed over cuts of the eye or eyelid.

55) B

- Older clients with arthritis or shaking hands have difficulty instilling their own eye drops. The older client is instructed to lie down on a bed or sofa to instill the eye drops. Tilting the head back can lead to a loss of balance. Eye drop regimens for glaucoma require accurate timing, and it is unreasonable to expect a family member to instill the eye drops. Additionally, this discourages client independence. Placing the eye drops in the refrigerator should not be done unless specifically prescribed.


After you reviewed your answers through its rationale, you can also go back to the first page to start from the beginning:

Eye Health Questions (1-6)

Or proceed to the next set of questions:

Eye Health Questions (56-60)