A nurse is planning to assist a client who recently had abdominal surgery with deep breathing exercises to help with pain control. What action by the nurse will best to ensure success?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Deep breathing may stimulate coughing in a postoperative patient. Having a pillow to splint the abdominal incision will reduce the pain associated with coughing. The nurse would not give extra pain medication beforehand because that would mask the benefit of the deep breathing. Journaling is important, but splinting the incision is more so. Respect for the client includes honoring his or her preferences, including what time is best for this activity, but will not contribute as much to success as not increasing incisional pain.

A Nurse Is Planning to Assist a Client Who Recently