University of Massachusetts Boston
College of Nursing and Health Sciences
NU 310 Adult Health
FINAL EXAM STUDY GUIDE
1. Peri-operative
 Pre-operative teaching and assessments; normal and abnormal findings
 Lab data- establishing a baseline of normal and abnormal, diagnostics
required/obtained pre-op and why?
 Pre-op nursing assessments and nursing interventions
 Risk factors for surgery and nursing implications and actions
 Intra-op and post-op complications; recognition, prevention, and treatment
2. Cancer
 Incidence, prevalence, and major cancer terms
 Risk factors
 Warning signs of cancer and reducing risks
 Nursing care of a client with cancer
o Cancer treatments (Surgery, chemo, radio…) and potential side effects/
complications. How to assess, detect, and treat these complications
o Oncologic emergencies
3. Respiratory
 Pneumonia, Atelectasis- types, symptoms, treatments, and assessment finding
 Tuberculosis, Pulmonary Emboli, Asthma- risks, prevention, assessment, diagnostics,
management, nursing care
 COPD- types of, physical findings r/t, indications of, lab changes, symptoms
 Pneumothorax (tension, spontaneous…) and hemothorax
 Chest Tubes- indications and care
 Nursing care of a chest tube and a patient with a chest tube
4. Urolithiasis, BPH, and Prostate Cancer
 Urinary Calculi-risk factors, causes, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and diagnostic
exams, metabolic workup, treatment (short term and long term), lifestyle
modifications, nursing care of clients with kidney stones and after lithotripsy
 BPH- prevalence, risk factors, clinical manifestations, physical assessment, diagnostic
tests, treatment, lifestyle modifications, care of patient after TURP, Care of client
with continuous bladder irrigation
 Prostate Cancer- prevalence, risk factors, clinical manifestation, recommendations
and screening, diagnosis, treatment, care of clients after TURP and after prostate
biopsy
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NU310_Final Exam Study Guide
5. Renal
 Renal Failure- risk factors, causes, types of renal failure (acute and chronic), phases,
clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, labs, treatment, nursing care
 Treatment, complications, assessment for patient with renal failure
 Dialysis – types, indications, complications, nursing assessments and care with each
type
 Care for patient with renal failure and patients on dialysis
6. Cardiac
 EKGs-determination of rate, rhythm, intervals, dysrhymias (Sinus bradycardia, Sinus
tachycardia, A.fib, A.flutter, PACs, PVCs, V. tachycardia, V.fib)-causes, clinical
manifestation, treatments… and you should be able to read it on ECG strip and
recognize its description!
 Angina- types, risk factors, diagnostics, clinical manifestation, treatment, causes of
chest pain and priority nursing assessment and interventions
 ACS/ MI/ CHF (Rt & Lt)- risk factors associated with modifiable and nonmodifiable, clinical manifestations, lab changes, diagnostics treatment, ECG changes,
nursing care, teaching, cardiac rehabilitation
7. PVD
 Types of PVD (arterial and venous) and venous/ arterial ulcers; causes, risk factors,
clinical manifestations, diagnostic tests, treatment, and appropriate nursing care and
interventions for both venous and arterial diseases
 Comprehensive assessment of vascular system and diagnostic evaluation, Classic
signs and symptoms of PVD, arterial vs. venous, foot care instructions
 Aneurysms: causes, most common locations, risk factors, assessment, clinical
manifestation (especially AAA), treatment, bypass surgery, shock
 DVT and venous insufficiency: causes, risk factors, clinical manifestations,
diagnostic tests, treatment, and appropriate nursing care and interventions
8. The Patient with Diabetes Mellitus (DM)
 How to diagnose (i.e., criteria and tests used to diagnose), presenting symptoms of
patients with diabetes
 Nursing assessment of the diabetic patient, teaching required, medications that cause
complications with the diabetic patient, lifestyle changes of DM patient.
 Management of DM- dietary management (what is the diabetic nutritional education),
Insulin (types- peak, duration times, administration, injection, patient teaching), “sick
day rules,” hypo/hyper-glycemia, blood tests associated with DM management.
 Complications of DM- macrovascular and microvascular complications, nursing
assessment for complications, management, teaching regarding, symptoms of hyper
and hypo-glycemia, medications used to manage complications
 Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and HHS-at risk patients, early and late symptoms and
management (including medications administered). Nursing care of the patient with
DKA and HHS. Assessments required and treatments.
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NU310_Final Exam Study Guide
9. The Patient with Endocrine Alterations
 Pituitary over and under secretion, Diabetes Insipidus, SIADH, pituitary tumors, care
of patients post trans-sphenoidal resection of tumor, Gamma Knife Stereotactic
Radiotherapy
 Cushing’s- symptoms, lab changes and management (medical, nursing,
pharmacologic)
 Addison’s- symptoms, lab changes and management (medical, nursing,
pharmacologic)
 Conn’s syndrome-symptoms, lab changes and management (medical, nursing,
pharmacologic)
 Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism) – symptoms, lab changes and management
(medical, nursing, pharmacologic)
 Myxedema (hypothyroidism)- symptom, lab changes and management, medications
effectiveness and assessment of related symptoms (medical, nursing, pharmacologic)
 Surgical interventions of the above, post –op care. Priorities of assessments, normal
and abnormal post op assessment findings and nursing interventions and assessments.
10. The Patient with Gastrointestinal, Biliary, and Liver alterations
 GERD- signs and symptoms, difference between heartburn and MI, treatment
(medication, surgery, nursing care, medical management)
 Hiatal hernia- signs and symptoms, management, post-op care
 Peptic and duodenal ulcers- etiology, diagnostics, signs and symptoms, treatment
(dietary, medical, pharmacologic—PPI, surgical), post-op nursing care, complications
 Obesity and bariatric surgery: care and complications (i.e., dumping syndrome)
 Liver- Liver function tests, diagnostics and nursing care
o Cirrhosis- etiology, signs and symptoms, treatment (dietary, medical,
surgical), complications (Jaundice, ascites, peripheral edema, esophageal
varices, hepatic encephalopathy), nursing care, lifestyle changes
o Hepatitis- symptoms, diagnostics, management, patient teaching
 Gall bladder disease: risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, dietary
restrictions
 Appendicitis, diverticulitis, hemorrhoid: risk factors, signs and symptoms,
diagnostics, treatment
 Pancreatitis: risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnostics, treatment
 Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis: risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnostics,
treatment
11. Care of patient with Neurologic Alterations
 Intracranial pressure: signs and symptoms of increased ICP, diagnostics, treatment,
nursing care
 CVA: types, risk factors, clinical manifestation, diagnostics, treatment, nursing care
12. Care of patient with Orthopedic Alterations
 Rheumatoid disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, SLE
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NU310_Final Exam Study Guide

Osteoporosis risk factors, healing stages post fracture, assessment and recognition of
complications associated with orthopedic injuries and surgeries.
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