Question

A nurse assists a patient on the first postoperative day to ambulate, cough, deep breathe, and turn. Which action by the nurse is most helpful?

a. Teach the patient to fully exhale into the incentive spirometer.
b. Administer ordered analgesic medications before these activities.
c. Ask the patient to state two possible complications of immobility.
d. Encourage the patient to state the purpose of splinting the incision.

Answer 1

Administering ordered analgesic medications before ambulation, coughing, deep breathing, and turning is most helpful for a postoperative patient, as it mitigates pain and facilitates the patient's ability to perform these crucial postoperative activities effectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question asks which action by the nurse would be most helpful for a patient on the first postoperative day to assist with ambulation, coughing, deep breathing, and turning. The most beneficial action would be to administer ordered analgesic medications before these activities, which is option b. This is essential because after surgery, muscles necessary for breathing and coughing need to regain their function and patients will have pain, making such activities challenging. Preemptive pain management will allow the patient to perform these activities with less discomfort, which will enhance their ability to breathe deeply, cough effectively, and mobilize, thus decreasing the risk of postoperative complications such as pneumonia or deep vein thrombosis.