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The charge nurse is making assignments for the next shift. Which patient should be assigned to the fairly new nurse (6 months experience) pulled from the surgical unit to the medical unit?

a) A 58-year old on airborne precautions for tuberculosis (TB)

b) A 68-year old just returned from bronchoscopy and biopsy

c) A 72-year old who needs teaching about the use of incentive spirometry

d) A 69-year old with COPD who is ventilator dependent

User Michilus
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The fairly new nurse with 6 months of experience should be assigned to the 72-year old patient in need of education on incentive spirometry due to its relative simplicity and applicability to the nurse's experience in the surgical unit. Option C is correct.

Step-by-step explanation:

The charge nurse is faced with the task of making assignments and must consider the complexity of care each patient requires when assigning a nurse with 6 months of experience from the surgical unit to the medical unit. When looking at the options provided:

A 58-year old on airborne precautions for tuberculosis (TB).

A 68-year old just returned from bronchoscopy and biopsy.

A 72-year old who needs teaching about the use of incentive spirometry.

A 69-year old with COPD who is ventilator dependent.

The nurse with 6 months of experience should be assigned to the 72-year old who needs teaching about the use of incentive spirometry. This task requires knowledge that is likely familiar to a nurse coming from a surgical unit, as post-operative patients often need incentive spirometry to prevent post-surgical complications.

This task also tends to be less acute and complex than managing a patient on airborne precautions for TB, caring for a patient fresh from a bronchoscopy and biopsy, or a patient who is ventilator dependent due to COPD. Consequently, this assignment seems most appropriate to the skill level of a nurse with their level of experience.

User Gdoron
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