Cardiac-Vascular Nursing (CVRN) Practice Exam

What should a cardiac-vascular nurse do next for a patient with negative troponins but recurring chest pain?

1. Activate the cardiac catheterization team

2. Administer analgesics

3. Obtain a 12-lead electrocardiogram

4. Promote relaxation and monitor the response

The correct answer is: Obtain a 12-lead electrocardiogram

For a patient presenting with negative troponin levels but experiencing recurring chest pain, obtaining a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) is a crucial next step. This is important for several reasons. First, the negative troponin result indicates that there is no evidence of myocardial injury or infarction at the time of testing. However, recurring chest pain can have multiple other causes, including ischemia that may not yet have led to any myocardial damage detectable by troponin levels. An ECG provides immediate insight into the patient's cardiac rhythm and can identify various conditions such as ischemic changes, arrhythmias, or other electrical disturbances in the heart. Performing an ECG allows the nurse to evaluate the nature of the chest pain further. If significant ST-segment changes or other abnormalities are observed, it may necessitate rapid intervention, such as activating the cardiac catheterization team, particularly if an acute coronary syndrome is suspected. Thus, prioritizing the ECG will help obtain critical information needed to guide further assessment and management of the patient's chest pain. In this situation, administering analgesics might provide temporary relief, but it does not address the underlying cause or provide diagnostic information. Promoting relaxation and monitoring can be beneficial but would not yield essential