You are working on the orthopedic floor in a large hospital. You are working with a 78-year-old woman who has undergone left shoulder arthroplasty. You have just assisted her out of bed to the bedside chair for breakfast. After breakfast she is planning to return to her bed. As you position the patient in the chair, which of the following considerations is most important?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When positioning the patient in the chair, it is most important to position her to promote comfort and effective swallowing while she is out of bed. This is because she has just had left shoulder arthroplasty, which means that she may experience pain and limited mobility in her affected arm. Therefore, it is important to position her in a way that does not exacerbate her pain and discomfort. Additionally, effective swallowing is important to prevent aspiration during meals and decrease the risk of complications. While preventing contractures and pressure sores are also important considerations, they are not as critical in this specific scenario as promoting comfort and effective swallowing. Promoting lower-extremity circulation is not a priority in this scenario since the patient is not in a position that would impede circulation.

You Are Working on the Orthopedic Floor in a Large