While at recess, a child falls and hurts his arm. The school nurse is called and suspects a fractured arm. The nurse will apply a splint before transporting the child to the hospital. The nurse will ensure that:

1. The splint is applied firmly enough to prevent swelling.
2. The arm is fully extended in the splint.
3. The splint is fully padded to prevent skin damage.
4. The joints above and below the suspected fracture are immobilized.


4
Rationale 1: The purpose of the splint is not to prevent swelling.
Rationale 2: The nurse will not want to manipulate the arm, so the nurse will splint the arm in the position it is found.
Rationale 3: The splint does not need to be padded.
Rationale 4: This is the important concept in splinting—immobilizing the joint above and below the fracture to prevent movement of the bones.
Global Rationale:

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