Question

A nurse is providing preoperative teaching for a client who is scheduled for an open cholecystectomy. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A) Instruct the client to perform deep-breathing exercises postoperatively.
B) Advise the client to avoid ambulation for the first 24 hours after surgery.
C) Encourage the client to consume a heavy meal the night before the surgery.
D) Recommend the use of a heating pad on the incision site.

Answer 1

The nurse should instruct the client to perform deep-breathing exercises postoperatively to prevent atelectasis and promote lung expansion after anesthesia. It is not advisable to avoid ambulation, consume a heavy meal before surgery, or use a heating pad on the incision site.

Step-by-step explanation:

When providing preoperative teaching for a client scheduled for an open cholecystectomy, the nurse should instruct the client to perform deep-breathing exercises postoperatively. These exercises are important to prevent atelectasis (the collapse of lung tissue) and to promote lung expansion after anesthesia. Therefore, the correct action for the nurse to take is (A) Instruct the client to perform deep-breathing exercises postoperatively.

It is not advisable to consume a heavy meal the night before the surgery because it could increase the risk of complications such as aspiration during anesthesia. Instead, patients are usually instructed to fast for a certain period before the procedure.

Avoiding ambulation for the first 24 hours after surgery (B) is not a general recommendation, as early ambulation is encouraged to prevent complications such as deep vein thrombosis. Furthermore, the use of a heating pad on the incision site (D) is typically not recommended as it may cause burns or worsen swelling, and the patient's sensation may be altered due to the surgery and pain medication.