A client has just returned home after a total hip arthroplasty. What should the home health nurse include in their teaching?

Choice C rationale

Placing the client in Fowler's position (semi-upright position) facilitates optimal chest expansion and improves ventilation by allowing the diaphragm to move more effectively and reducing the pressure on the lungs from abdominal contents. This position helps in maximizing oxygenation and reducing respiratory distress. The other positions—supine, prone, and Trendelenburg—do not offer the same level of chest expansion and can exacerbate breathing difficulties.

The correct answer is to place the client in a position that allows for maximum chest expansion and oxygenation. This is often the upright or Fowler’s position.

Choice A rationale

Rolling down knee-high stockings can cause constriction and impair blood flow, which is not the intended purpose of these stockings.

Choice B rationale

Flexing the toes when applying the stockings does not necessarily aid in the application or effectiveness of the stockings.

Choice C rationale

Antiembolic stockings should be reapplied before getting out of bed to ensure that they are in place to provide the necessary pressure to the legs when the client is upright. This helps to promote venous return and prevent blood pooling and clot formation.

Choice D rationale

Thigh-high stockings should reach just below the gluteal folds, not above. If they are too high, they can cause constriction and impair blood flow.