During tracheostomy care, what action should a healthcare professional take?

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Changing tracheostomy ties if they are wet is essential to prevent infection and maintain skin integrity. Wet ties can harbor bacteria, increasing the risk of skin breakdown and other complications. Regularly changing wet ties promotes cleanliness, reduces the likelihood of complications, and ensures optimal care for the client with a tracheostomy.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: Ensuring the water seal chamber is filled to the prescribed level is essential for the chest tube's effective functioning. This maintains the integrity of the system, prevents air from entering the pleural space, and facilitates proper drainage. Stripping the drainage tubing, keeping the drainage system below the chest level, or clamping the chest tube during ambulation are not recommended practices and can lead to complications.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: In this scenario, the correct instruction for a client prescribed enoxaparin is option C: "You should inject the medication once daily." This instruction is correct because enoxaparin is a medication used as an anticoagulant to prevent blood clots. It is typically administered once daily to maintain therapeutic levels in the body and prevent clot formation. Option A: "You need to obtain routine blood tests to monitor the effects of this medication" is incorrect because while monitoring clotting times may be necessary for some anticoagulants like warfarin, enoxaparin does not require routine blood tests for monitoring. Option B: "You should administer the medication into your thigh" is incorrect because enoxaparin is usually injected into the fatty layer of the abdomen, not the thigh, to improve absorption and reduce the risk of bruising. Option D: "You need to use a 1-inch needle to administer the medication" is incorrect because the needle length for administering enoxaparin is typically shorter, around ⅝ to 1 inch, to ensure proper subcutaneous injection without reaching muscle tissue. Educationally, understanding the rationale behind the correct administration of medications like enoxaparin is crucial for nurses to ensure safe and effective patient care. By knowing the proper administration technique and frequency, nurses can help prevent complications and optimize the therapeutic benefits of the medication for their patients.

Correct Answer: D

Rationale: When caring for a client with dysphagia, placing food on the unaffected side of the mouth can help them chew and swallow more effectively. This technique can assist in minimizing the risk of aspiration and improve the client's ability to manage food safely. Providing small food pieces, offering thickened liquids, and encouraging the client to sit upright after meals are also important interventions in managing dysphagia, but placing food on the unaffected side of the mouth is a specific technique that directly addresses the swallowing difficulty associated with dysphagia.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Aspirating before injecting the medication is a crucial step in IM injections to check for blood return, ensuring that the needle is not in a blood vessel. This technique helps prevent accidental intravascular injection of the medication, reducing the risk of complications such as inadvertent intravenous administration of the substance.