2024 PN NCLEX Questions Nursing Practice Question
During data collection of a client with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome, a nurse plans to perform the Phalen test. The nurse should ask the client to perform which activity?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The Phalen test is specifically designed to assess for carpal tunnel syndrome by provoking symptoms through wrist flexion. Option C involves holding the hands back to back while flexing the wrists at a 90-degree angle for 60 seconds, which effectively compresses the median nerve and can elicit symptoms if carpal tunnel syndrome is present.
Options A and B involve movements of the foot, which are irrelevant to diagnosing wrist conditions. Option D, while involving hand positioning, does not replicate the wrist flexion required for the Phalen test and instead focuses on finger hyperextension, making it ineffective for this assessment.