A nurse is caring for a toddler whose guardian reports multiple episodes of diarrhea. The provider suspects Clostridium difficile. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. Draw a blood culture: Blood cultures are used to detect systemic infections, especially bacteremia. Clostridium difficile infection is typically localized to the gastrointestinal tract, so a blood culture would not be useful for confirming this diagnosis. B. Obtain a stool specimen for culture: A stool culture is appropriate for identifying C. difficile by detecting the presence of its toxins. This test confirms the cause of diarrhea and helps guide appropriate antibiotic or supportive therapy. C. Conduct a tape test: The tape test is used to diagnose pinworm infections by collecting eggs around the anal area, usually in the early morning. It is not appropriate for identifying C. difficile or explaining diarrhea of this type. D. Collect a stool specimen for occult blood: Testing for occult blood is used to detect hidden blood in the stool, often for screening gastrointestinal bleeding. While it may provide additional information, it does not diagnose C. difficile infection.