A 70-year-old female presents to the emergency department through triage with a noticeable facial droop and garbled speech. After having a few drinks at a local seafood restaurant, the client's husband noticed his wife's speech became difficult to understand. Flow sheets 1915 Arrival at emergency department 1920 Vital Signs: - Temperature: 98.2° F (36.8° C) - Heart rate: 92 beats/minute - Respirations: 24 breaths/minute - Blood pressure: 210/98 mmHg - Oxygen saturation: 95% on room air Imaging studies 1935 Head CT scan results: - No evidence of intracranial hemorrhage - No evidence of acute disease Orders - Obtain CT scan of the head. - Insert a large bore peripheral IV. - Start normal saline infusion at 50 mL/hour. The client continues to have stable neurologic assessments. The nurse provides interventions to promote client safety while in the hospital. Of the interventions below, explain if it promotes clients safety or not, or does both.
Explanation & Rationale
Choice A reason: Place the client in a room near the elevator: This does **not** promote client safety, because it exposes the client to more noise and disturbance, which can increase stress and blood pressure. A quiet and calm environment is preferable for stroke clients. Choice B reason: Complete a swallow study before giving anything by mouth: This **promotes** client safety, because it assesses the client's ability to swallow and prevent aspiration. Stroke clients may have impaired swallowing due to facial weakness or sensory loss. Choice C reason: Provide a call button kept within reach: This **promotes** client safety, because it allows the client to communicate their needs and request assistance when needed. Stroke clients may have limited mobility or vision, which can increase their risk of falls or injuries. Choice D reason: Initiate use of the bed alarm: This **promotes** client safety, because it alerts the staff if the client tries to get out of bed without assistance. Stroke clients may have impaired judgment or balance, which can lead to falls or accidents. Choice E reason: Place client belongings out of reach: This does **not** promote client safety, because it makes the client feel frustrated and helpless. Stroke clients may have difficulty reaching for their belongings due to hemiparesis or hemiplegia, which can affect their self-care and independence. The nurse should place the client's belongings within reach on their unaffected side and encourage them to use them as much as possible. Choice F reason: Instruct the client to call before getting up: This **promotes** client safety, because it ensures that the client has adequate support and supervision when getting up. Stroke clients may have orthostatic hypotension, which can cause dizziness or fainting when changing positions. The nurse should assist the client to get up slowly and monitor their vital signs.