Help with NCLEX practice question.

Question

I'm preparing for the NCLEX by doing practice questions online, but I want more help with rationale. For this question, the correct answer is B, but why?

 

The healthcare provider is providing teaching on pleural effusions. The healthcare provider understands that teaching has been effective when the patient states: (Choose 1 answer)

A: “A pleural effusion is accumulation of fluid in the airways of the lungs.”
B: “A pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity.”
C: “A pleural effusion is an accumulation of blood in the airspace.”
D: “A pleural effusion is an accumulation of fluid in the alveoli.”

 

Thanks!

Answer 1

The rationale for selecting answer choice B as the correct answer correlates to knowing the definition of two key words in the question stem. We need to know the definition of "effusion": an abnormal collection of fluid. Knowing this, so we can eliminate answer choice C which states an accumulation of BLOOD.

The second definition that is important to know is 'pleura": the thin layers of tissue (pleura) lining the lung and the wall of the chest cavity. Knowing this definition we can eliminate answer choice A as it references AIRWAYS and we can eliminate answer choice D as it references ALVEOLI.

Answer 2

Answer B.

A pleural effusion is a fluid buildup between the tissue layers that line the lungs and chest cavity.

When answering any NCLEX-style question be sure to always look at what the question is asking. Knowing definitions is a baseline for studying for any nursing course and the NCLEX. Plug your answer back in the questions and ask yourself, "Does this make sense?"

Maria Flavin, DNP, MSN, FNP-C, RN

Answer 3

Answer B. The pleural cavity is he space between the lung and the thorax. It is composed of the visceral pleura, lining the lungs, and the parietal pleura, lining the thorax. The cavity is actually a potential space (cavity). Test-taking Skill: Remove the repeating words in the options and focus on the definition. Note the word pleural in the stem and the correct definition. This is called a cling-clang clue ( like the ringing of a bell). While this won’t always be the correct option, many times it is more likely than not.