The nursing assistant is caring for a resident newly diagnosed with influenza. What action should the nurse take to help prevent the spread of the illness to other residents?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant should remind the resident to cover their cough or sneeze to decrease spreading the infection via droplets through the air. Providing the receptacle to put used issues in helps contain the drying droplets, but is not as effective in containing the infections as covering the source of the droplets. The resident should wash their hands after coughing or sneezing, but the infected resident should not attend activities that may expose other residents to the flu. Annual influenza immunization will not help prevent the spread of the flu when the resident already has it. The resident may not be able to be immunized, which is why as many residents and health care providers as possible receive the influenza vaccine to help prevent its spread.

The Nursing Assistant Is Caring for a Resident Newly Diagnosed