The nurse is working the night shift on a surgical unit and is making 4:00 AM rounds. The nurse notices that the patient's temperature is 96.8° F (36° C), whereas at 4:00 PM the preceding day, it was 98.6° F (37° C). What should the nurse do?
a. Call the health care provider immediately to report a possible infection.
b. Administer medication to lower the temperature further.
c. Provide another blanket to conserve body temperature.
d. Realize that this is a normal temperature variation.
ANS: D
Body temperature normally changes 0.5° to 1° C (0.9° to 1.8° F) during a 24-hour period and is usually lowest between 1:00 and 4:00 AM, with a maximum temperature at 4:00 PM, making this variation normal for the time of day. Unless the patient reports being cold, there is no physiological need for providing an extra blanket or medication to lower the body temperature further. There is also no need to call a health care provider to report a normal temperature variation.
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