Question

when the nurse who is carrying a newborn to the mother enters the room, a visitor asks to hold the infant. the visitor is sneezing and coughing. which is the most important measure for the nurse to take at this time?

Answer 1

The nurse should prevent the visitor, who is showing symptoms of possible infection, from holding the newborn to protect the baby from the potential spread of infectious diseases.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a nurse who is carrying a newborn to the mother is approached by a visitor who wants to hold the infant, but is sneezing and coughing, the most important measure for the nurse to take is to prevent the potential spread of infectious diseases. Given that newborns have vulnerable immune systems and that a sneeze can expel pathogens from the respiratory tract, it is critical for the nurse to politely decline the visitor's request to hold the baby at this time. Instead, the nurse should encourage the visitor to maintain good hygiene by washing their hands and covering their mouth and nose if they need to cough or sneeze again, per healthcare protocols and recommendations to prevent the transmission of illnesses.