As per the physician's orders, a nurse is placing two electrodes on a client's lower back to perform transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). The nurse spaces the electrodes at least the width of one from the other on the client's skin

Question

Which of the following reasons explains the nurse's action? A) Prevents the potential for burning the skin
B) Promotes the integrity of the skin
C) Prevents premature stimulation of the skin
D) Provides wider and deeper stimulation

Answer 1

A
Feedback:
When performing TENS, the nurse spaces the electrodes at least the width of one from the other in order to prevent the potential for burning caused by close proximity of the electrodes. To promote skin integrity, the nurse changes the position of the electrodes slightly if skin irritation develops. To prevent premature stimulation of the skin, the nurse ensures the TENS unit is set to "off." To provide wider and deeper stimulation as the pulse width increases, the nurse should set the pulse width of the TENS.