Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse Practice Exam

What type of intervention should a nurse prioritize for a patient after a major surgical procedure?

1. Pain management

2. Monitoring vital signs

3. Fluid balance assessment

4. Neurological assessment

The correct answer is: Monitoring vital signs

Prioritizing monitoring vital signs after a major surgical procedure is crucial because this practice helps in identifying any immediate complications that may arise postoperatively. Vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature provide essential information about the patient’s stability. A sudden change in any of these parameters could indicate issues such as hypovolemia, shock, or infection—all of which require prompt intervention. By closely observing these indicators, the nurse can ensure early detection of complications and facilitate timely medical interventions that could be critical to the patient's recovery. While pain management, fluid balance assessment, and neurological assessments are also important aspects of postoperative care, their effectiveness can heavily rely on the information gathered from vital sign monitoring. For example, inadequate pain control might result in increased heart rate and blood pressure; fluid balance is often assessed in conjunction with vital signs to measure overall cardiovascular stability; and neurological assessment might need to be altered depending on the patient's stable or unstable physiological status. Thus, while all these interventions are significant, monitoring vital signs serves as the foundation for evaluating the patient’s immediate response to surgery.