After making initial rounds on all the assigned clients by 8:00 AM, which client should the nurse care for first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse should care for the client with adenocarcinoma scheduled for a lobectomy at 9:00 AM first. Not being able to sleep the night before surgery is a common manifestation of anxiety and fear; these emotions can negatively affect recovery. For this reason, it is important to identify and listen to the client's concerns (eg, diagnosis of cancer, fear of death, pain, anesthesia), teach the client about what to expect following surgery (eg, pain control, tubes, intensive care environment), and provide emotional support to help alleviate the fear and anxiety. The nurse can provide for the physical preparation of the client and complete the preoperative checklist as well. (Option A) Tramadol (Ultram) 50-100 mg orally every 4-6 hours is prescribed for moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. The client was medicated 1.5 hours ago. The drug onset is 1 hour, the peak is 2-3 hours, and the duration is 4-6 hours. Therefore, this client is most likely stable at this time. The nurse does not need to care for this client first. (Option B) Moderate-to-mild bleeding 1-2 days after undergoing TURP is expected. Pink urine is a normal assessment finding. The nurse does not need to care for this client first. (Option C) The client who is scheduled for discharge is stable and needs teaching about how to change the surgical dressing. The nurse does not need to care for this client first. Educational objective: To prioritize client care, the nurse first identifies the type of problem the client has, expected findings, associated complications, and desired outcomes. The nurse then uses clinical judgment to decide which client has the most urgent need, and then cares for that client first.

After Making Initial Rounds on All the Assigned Clients by 8:00