The nurse is conducting a physical examination of the abdomen. What is the nurse's best action to ensure she can hear bowel sounds?

A. Reduce all environmental noise: Minimizing environmental noise ensures that bowel sounds can be clearly heard during auscultation. B. Percuss the region before auscultating: Percussion is not necessary before auscultation for detecting bowel sounds; auscultation should be done first. C. Palpate the region before auscultating: Palpation can alter bowel sounds or cause false findings, so it is best to auscultate first. D. Assist the client to a sitting position: The client’s position is less critical than reducing background noise; the client can be in various positions as long as the area is accessible.