A nurse is changing a client's abdominal dressing. A nursing assistant enters the room and informs the nurse that the IV fluid ordered for another client, who is experiencing difficulty breathing, has just arrived from the pharmacy. The nurse's most appropriate action is to:
A)Drape the client's abdomen, administer the IV fluid to the dyspneic client, and finish the treatment.
B)Ask the nursing assistant to find another nurse to administer the IV fluid, finish the treatment, and check on the respiratory rate of the dyspneic client.
C)Ask the nursing assistant to teach deep breathing exercises to dyspneic client until she's free to administer the IV.
D)Finish cleansing the wound, apply the sterile dressing, and administer IV fluid to the dyspneic client.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nurse's most appropriate action is to finish the immediate task and swiftly move to the other client. Option A would compromise the sterility of the wound, increasing the client's risk for infection.

A Nurse Is Changing a Client's Abdominal Dressing