Final answer:
The nursing priority for a child experiencing a tonic-clonic seizure is to protect the child from self-injury by ensuring the safety of their environment and not applying restraints or inserting objects into their mouth. The correct answer is 3) Protecting the child from self-injury.
Step-by-step explanation:
The priority nursing responsibility when a 3-year-old child is having a tonic-clonic seizure with a clamped jaw is protecting the child from self-injury. This involves ensuring that the environment around the child is safe by removing any harmful objects and providing a soft surface to prevent injury during the seizure.
Applying restraints or inserting anything into the mouth of a seizing child can cause harm and is not recommended; oxygen is generally not administered unless there is a known breathing problem, and plastic airways are not inserted due to the risk of injury and aspiration.
The clinical focus should be on observing the child closely to monitor the duration of the seizure, maintaining the child in a safe position, and seeking immediate medical attention if the seizure lasts longer than five minutes or is followed by another seizure.