During a camping trip, a camp counselor falls and gets a small splinter of wood embedded in the right eye. What action should the volunteer camp nurse take first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The camp nurse protects the injured eye using an eye shield (eg, small Styrofoam or paper cup), ensuring the shield does not touch the foreign body. The eyes work in synchrony with each other; therefore, the non-injured eye is patched to prevent further eye movement. The nurse also facilitates transport to the nearest emergency care center for assessment and treatment by an ophthalmologist. (Option A) Flushing the eye with cool water is contraindicated as it may cause further damage by moving the splinter and/or introducing potential wound pathogens. (Option B) Instilling optic antibiotic ointment would interfere with ophthalmologic medical examination. Optic antibiotic ointment may be prescribed by the health care provider to reduce the risk of infection once the object is removed from the eye. (Option D) The nurse should not attempt to remove a foreign body embedded in the eye. An ophthalmologist, a health care provider who specializes in the surgical and nonsurgical evaluation and treatment of eye conditions, should remove the embedded object as soon as possible. Educational objective: When a foreign body becomes accidentally embedded in the eye, both eyes should be shielded to prevent eye movement and additional injury. The nurse should immediately refer the client to an ophthalmologist for further evaluation and treatment.

During a Camping Trip, a Camp Counselor Falls and Gets