An older adult client arrives at the outpatient eye surgery clinic for a right cataract extraction and lens implant. During the immediate postoperative period, which intervention should the nurse implement?

Rationale: A. Obtain vital signs every 2 hours during hospitalization: Frequent vital sign monitoring is more relevant for systemic postoperative procedures or inpatients at risk for hemodynamic instability. For outpatient cataract surgery, this is not a priority intervention. B. Provide an eye shield to be worn while sleeping: Protecting the operated eye with a shield prevents accidental rubbing, trauma, or pressure on the surgical site during sleep. This is a critical safety measure in the immediate postoperative period to promote healing and prevent complications such as increased intraocular pressure or lens displacement. C. Teach a family member to administer eye drops: Medication administration education is important but is part of ongoing discharge teaching rather than an immediate postoperative intervention. The priority is protecting the surgical site initially. D. Encourage deep breathing and coughing exercises: While these exercises prevent respiratory complications after some surgeries, they are generally unnecessary after outpatient eye surgery and do not directly protect the eye or promote healing in this context.