A Review of Laboratory Results Reveals a 30% Decrease in Platelet

question 6

Multiple Choice

A review of laboratory results reveals a 30% decrease in platelet count from baseline in a patient receiving intermittent intravenous heparin therapy. What nursing action is indicated?

• A) Have the laboratory rerun this test.
• B) Skip one dose of heparin and have a PT/PTT drawn.
• C) Discuss these findings with the health care provider.
• D) Dilute the next heparin dose in normal saline and administer over at least 5 minutes.

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Definitions:

Self-Serving Bias

A cognitive bias that involves perceiving oneself in an overly favorable manner or attributing success to personal factors while attributing failures to external factors.

Actor-Observer Effect

The tendency to attribute one's own actions to external causes while attributing others' actions to internal factors.

Halo Effect

The cognitive bias that causes one's impression of a person to influence one's thoughts and feelings in unrelated areas.

Mere-Exposure Effect

A psychological phenomenon by which people tend to develop a preference for things or people they are exposed to frequently.