A nurse is caring for a client who reports feeling a pop after coughing without properly splinting an abdominal incision. On assessment the nurse finds evisceration. Which action should the nurse take?

A. Teaching the client to practice deep breathing exercises is a preventive measure for respiratory complications but is completely inappropriate during an acute evisceration. Increased intra-abdominal pressure from deep breathing or coughing can further expel visceral organs through the surgical dehiscence. At this stage, the nurse must prioritize immediate surgical emergency protocols rather than routine postoperative education or respiratory hygiene. B. Placing the client in a supine position with the hips and knees flexed reduces tension on the abdominal musculature and the surgical incision site. This specific positioning helps prevent further protrusion of the viscera by relaxing the abdominal wall and lowering intra-abdominal pressure. It is a critical first-aid intervention to stabilize the client while preparing for emergency surgical repair of the wound. C. Covering the wound with a dry, adherent dressing is strictly contraindicated because it causes the delicate serosal surface of the protruding organs to stick to the gauze. This can lead to tissue trauma, ischemia, and necrosis when the dressing is eventually removed. The nurse should instead apply a sterile, non-adherent dressing moistened with warmed 0.9% sodium chloride to maintain tissue viability and moisture. D. Carefully reinserting the intestines through the wound opening is an action that must never be performed by a nurse as it increases the risk of infection and organ injury. Attempting to push the viscera back into the peritoneal cavity can cause intestinal perforation or introduce pathogens into a sterile environment. The nurse's role is to protect the exposed tissue and keep it moist until a surgeon can perform the repair.