A telephone triage nurse gets a call from a postpartum patient who is concerned about jaundice. The patient's newborn is 37 hours old. What data should the nurse gather first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Skin color is the most important data to gather in this situation as jaundice causes a yellowing of the skin. This will help determine the severity of the jaundice and whether further evaluation or treatment is necessary. The other options may be important to gather as well, but skin color is the priority. Bilirubin level cannot be determined over the phone and requires a blood test.

A Telephone Triage Nurse Gets a Call from a Postpartum