The nursing assistant is caring for a client who arrived on the unit after wrist surgery whose left arm is elevated on pillows with an ice pack in place. What finding should the nursing assistant report immediately to the nurse?

Question

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The nursing assistant observes for circulation, color, movement, temperature, and sensation while cold therapy is being administered every 5 minutes and observes that there is fresh bloody drainage on the dressing and should report this new finding immediately to the nurse. Cold therapy should decrease edema or swelling and bleeding. The client just arrived after surgery so the client is going to be sleepy and most likely will not be able to respond when asked about numbness, tingling, burning, or discomfort. The skin of the fingers distal to the surgical site matches the color of the skin of the nonsurgical hand, and the client moves the fingers that help support healthy circulation.

The Nursing Assistant Is Caring for a Client Who Arrived