A newly hired unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) is assigned to a home healthcare team along with two experienced UAPs.
Which intervention should the home health nurse implement to ensure adequate care for all clients?

Choice A rationale:

Use a peak flow meter to assess the respiratory status. Assessing the client's respiratory status using a peak flow meter is the most appropriate next action after administering albuterol, a bronchodilator. It helps determine the client's lung function and response to the medication. This information guides further interventions and treatment decisions.

Choice B rationale:

Administer a stat dose of corticosteroids. Administering corticosteroids may be indicated in some cases of respiratory distress or exacerbation of asthma. However, it should not be the immediate next step after albuterol administration. Assessing the client's response to albuterol through lung function testing (peak flow) is essential before deciding on additional medications.

Choice C rationale:

Document the normal finding in the client's health record. Documenting normal findings is important for maintaining accurate medical records, but in this case, it is premature. The nurse should first assess the client's response to albuterol and ensure that the respiratory status is indeed normal before documenting the findings.

Choice D rationale:

Repeat a dose of the client's rescue drug. Administering another dose of the rescue drug (albuterol) without assessing the client's response and lung function would not be the most appropriate action. It is essential to determine whether the initial dose was effective before considering additional doses or alternative treatments.

Choice A rationale:

Decreasing expiratory flow time is not the appropriate intervention in this case. The client's pH and PaCO2 levels suggest respiratory acidosis, which indicates inadequate ventilation. Increasing expiratory flow time might exacerbate the acidosis by reducing ventilation.

Choice C rationale:

Increasing the rate of ventilation (respiratory rate) is a potential intervention to improve the client's acid-base balance. However, it should be done cautiously and under medical supervision to avoid respiratory alkalosis. It is not the first-line intervention in this scenario.

Choice D rationale:

Increasing the ventilator tidal volume may help improve ventilation, but it should also be done under medical guidance to prevent barotrauma. It is not the initial intervention to address the client's respiratory acidosis.