A home health nurse is caring for a client who reports difficulty buttoning their clothes due to neuropathy. Which of the following referrals should the nurse make for the client?

Rationale:

A. Inform the client she will need to formula feed her newborn until she has received antibiotics for 24 hr: Most antibiotics used to treat postpartum endometritis are safe for breastfeeding. Temporary formula feeding is not routinely required.

B. Request a prescription for terbutaline from the provider: Terbutaline is a tocolytic used to suppress preterm labor, which is not indicated postpartum. It does not treat infection or uterine complications.

C. Monitor the height and tone of the client's fundus: Assessing the uterus for firmness and position helps detect uterine atony or worsening infection. Changes in fundal height or tone can indicate retained products of conception or hemorrhage.

D. Instruct the client to wash her hands before and after changing her perineal pad: Hand hygiene reduces the risk of introducing or spreading bacteria to the uterus or perineal area, which is critical when postpartum infection is present.

E. Encourage the client to maintain a semi-Fowler's position to enhance uterine drainage: Semi-Fowler’s positioning promotes drainage of lochia, decreases uterine congestion, and supports recovery from endometritis by reducing bacterial proliferation in pooled fluid.

F. Obtain a culture specimen of the lochia from the client's perineal pad using a sterile swab: A culture helps identify the causative organism of endometritis, allowing the provider to tailor antibiotic therapy effectively.

G. Initiate contact precautions: Endometritis is not a highly transmissible condition; standard precautions, including hand hygiene, are sufficient unless another communicable infection is identified.

A. "A living will is a document that includes my wishes about health care decisions.": A living will is an advance directive that specifies a client’s preferences for medical treatment in situations where they are unable to communicate.

B. "My partner needs to be present as a witness when I sign a living will.": Witness requirements vary by state, and typically a neutral adult, not necessarily a partner, must witness the signing.

C. "My provider will make my health care decisions if I complete advance directives.": Advance directives are intended to communicate the client’s own wishes, not delegate decision-making solely to the provider. The provider’s role is to follow the client’s documented preferences.

D. "Advance directives outline who inherits my material possessions in the event of my death.": Inheritance is addressed in a will, not advance directives. Advance directives focus exclusively on medical and end-of-life care decisions.