The nurse is preparing to assess the visual acuity of a 16-year-old patient for a routine physical. How should the nurse proceed?

A. Perform the confrontation test: The confrontation test is used to assess peripheral vision rather than overall visual acuity. It is not the standard method for measuring visual acuity in routine physical examinations. B. Determine the patient's ability to read newsprint at a distance of 12 to 14 inches: While this can be useful for assessing near vision, it does not provide a complete assessment of visual acuity, which includes both near and distance vision. C. Ask the patient to read the print on a handheld Jaeger card: The Jaeger card is specifically used for assessing near vision. While it is useful for determining how well the patient can see up close, it does not assess distance visual acuity, which is typically required in routine examinations for teenagers. D. Use the Snellen chart positioned 20 feet away from the patient: The Snellen chart is the standard tool for measuring distance visual acuity. It is positioned 20 feet away from the patient to evaluate how well they can see letters of various sizes. This method provides a clear assessment of the patient’s visual acuity for routine physical examinations.