A 53 year-old client was recently diagnosed with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). He is fearful and states, "My good friend just died from prostate cancer and I am concerned this will happen to me." What would be the most appropriate response by the nurse?

Choice A reason: Annual hearing screenings detect loss, not prevent it. In manufacturing, where noise exposure is immediate, this reactive measure doesn’t address the primary risk of loud machinery damaging cochlear hair cells, missing proactive protection entirely.

Choice B reason: Avoiding ototoxic drugs like aminoglycosides prevents chemical hearing damage, but manufacturing noise is the dominant risk. This advice is secondary to physical noise control, less relevant to the plant’s environmental hazard than direct protective measures here.

Choice C reason: Hearing protectors, like earplugs, block noise above 85 decibels, preventing cochlear damage in loud manufacturing settings. This primary prevention targets the main risk—prolonged sound exposure—directly safeguarding workers’ auditory health effectively and immediately in context.

Choice D reason: Stating noise above 85 decibels causes loss educates but doesn’t prevent. It’s factual—hair cells die from overexposure—but lacks actionable protection for manufacturing workers facing this risk daily, making it less practical than wearing protectors.

Choice A reason: Bell palsy affects cranial nerve VII, causing facial paralysis, not smell, which is cranial nerve I’s domain. A week of anosmia doesn’t align with this motor nerve issue, ruling it out as a cause of olfactory dysfunction here.

Choice B reason: Leukoplakia involves oral white patches, unrelated to smell, which cranial nerve I governs. It’s a mucosal condition, not nasal, missing the anatomical link to olfactory loss reported by the client over the past week entirely.

Choice C reason: Nasal polyps, benign growths in nasal passages, obstruct airflow, impairing cranial nerve I’s smell function. A week-long decrease fits this common cause, making it the priority to assess for physical blockage or inflammation in the nasal cavity accurately.

Choice D reason: Cranial nerve V (trigeminal) handles facial sensation, not smell, which is cranial nerve I’s role. A lesion here causes pain or numbness, not anosmia, excluding it as a relevant condition for this olfactory complaint specifically and fully.