The nurse is assigned two clients. One client needs postoperative teaching in preparation for discharge and the other client with pneumonia has a PaCO2 of 85. Why does the nurse decide to see the client with pneumonia first?
A) The nurse can delegate postoperative teaching to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).
B) The client with pneumonia needs more care than the client needing postoperative teaching.
C) The client with pneumonia may be experiencing respiratory distress.
D) The room of the client with pneumonia is closer than that of the client needing postoperative teaching.
Answer: C
The client with a PaCO2 of 85 could be in serious trouble. The nurse would decide to assess that client first in order to prevent dire consequences for the client. The client with pneumonia probably needs more care than the client preparing for discharge, but the reason for the decision is based on a potentially critical need by the client with pneumonia. The nurse cannot delegate discharge teaching to a UAP; even if delegation were permitted, the nurse would see the client with a high PaCO2 as being the greater priority. Placement of the client's room can be a decision that is made when considering time management issues; however, the physiological needs of the clients are the first consideration of the nurse.
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