Question

The school nurse is caring for a 12-year-old boy with a bloody nose. which action would be most appropriate for the nurse to do?

A) Administer pain-relieving medication.
B) Tilt the child's head back to slow the bleeding.
C) Have the child blow his nose forcefully to clear the blood.
D) Instruct the child to pinch his nostrils together and lean forward slightly.

Answer 1

Option D. Instruct the child to pinch his nostrils together and lean forward slightly.
The best action in case of a nose bleed is to pinch the nostrils together and lean slightly forward. This limits the bleed and prevents swallowing of blood. Medication, tilting the head back or blowing the nose are not recommended actions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most appropriate action for the nurse in this situation would be to guide the child to pinch his nostrils together and lean forward slightly (option D). This is a recommended method to control a nose bleed. By applying pressure through the pinching and leaning forward, it prevents the blood from going down the throat which can cause irritation and coughing. Applying pain-relieving medication (option A) isn't generally required for a nose bleed. Tilt the child's head back (option B) is not recommended because it could cause the child to swallow the blood. Blowing the nose forcefully (option C) could make the nose bleed worse by dislodging any clots that are forming to stop the bleeding.

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