Question

What are the 3 principles the nurse uses to protect self when caring for a client with a sealed radioactive implant?

Answer 1

Nurses use three main principles to protect themselves when caring for clients with sealed radioactive implants: minimizing time near the source, maximizing distance from the source, and employing effective shielding between themselves and the radiation.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the medical field, particularly when dealing with sealed radioactive implants, healthcare professionals, such as nurses, adopt certain principles to safeguard themselves from radiation exposure. The three key principles are:

1. Time: Minimizing the time spent in close proximity to the radiation source effectively reduces exposure.
2. Distance: Increasing the distance from the radioactive material, as the radiation intensity diminishes inversely proportional to the square of the distance.
3. Shielding: Using appropriate shielding to create a barrier between the nurse and the radioactive source, thus lessening the exposure to radiation.

Nurses apply these principles by using time management strategies, staying as far as possible from the source while providing care, and using protective barriers such as lead aprons or walls. The specificity of these barriers often relies on the type of radiation emitted by the implant. For instance, different materials might be used depending on whether the radiation is in the form of alpha particles, beta particles, gamma rays, or X-rays.