A client presents with itching and pain in the left ear that started several days after beginning swim lessons. The nurse observes a discharge coming from the ear with a musty odor. How should the nurse expect the ear to appear when performing an otoscopic examination?

A. Give the client 8 ounces (236.5 mL) of water to drink:
While encouraging hydration is important for overall urinary function, providing water to drink may not immediately address the client's current situation of difficulty providing a urine sample. It's essential to first determine if bladder distention is contributing to the client's symptoms.

B. Evaluate the client for bladder distention:
Given the client's symptoms of lower abdominal discomfort and difficulty providing a urine sample despite feeling the urge to urinate, bladder distention should be assessed. Bladder distention could indicate urinary retention, which may require intervention to relieve the discomfort and prevent complications such as urinary tract infection or bladder rupture.

C. Instruct the client to attempt to urinate again:
While encouraging the client to attempt to urinate again may be appropriate, it's essential to first assess for bladder distention to determine if there is an underlying issue contributing to the client's difficulty in providing a urine sample.

D. Send the sample for laboratory evaluation:
Sending the urine sample for laboratory evaluation is important for diagnostic purposes, but in this case, it's more important to address the immediate concern of the client's difficulty in providing an adequate sample. Evaluating for bladder distention would help guide further assessment and management.

Answer: B. Place the dorsum of the hand on the client's forehead.

Rationale:

A) Ask the client to describe any other related symptoms.
While asking the client about symptoms related to fever, such as chills or sweating, can provide useful subjective information, it is not a reliable or objective method to confirm fever. Direct temperature measurement is needed for confirmation.

B) Place the dorsum of the hand on the client's forehead.
Placing the dorsum (back) of the hand on the client’s forehead is a common method to assess skin temperature. While this action provides a quick, non-invasive estimation of whether the client feels warm, it still requires confirmation with an actual temperature measurement using a thermometer for an objective assessment.

C) Use both hands to hold and palpate the client's hands.
Palpating the client's hands may provide information about extremity temperature or circulation, but it is not a reliable method for assessing core body temperature or confirming the presence of fever.

D) Lightly pinch a fold of skin over the client's sternum.
Pinching a fold of skin over the sternum assesses skin turgor, which is a measure of hydration and elasticity, not temperature. It does not provide any indication of whether the client has a fever.