A nurse assesses the client and determines the client is at risk for unstable blood glucose. Which activity best reflects the planning phase of the nursing process?

A) The ammonia level has decreased each day starting the lactulose: While a decrease in ammonia levels is an important indicator of improvement in hepatic encephalopathy, it is not the best assessment of the therapeutic response to lactulose. The goal of lactulose therapy is to reduce ammonia levels, but the most direct evaluation of therapeutic effect is related to the client's mental status, not just laboratory results.

B) The liver enzymes AST and ALT have decreased to normal levels: Liver enzyme levels such as AST (aspartate aminotransferase) and ALT (alanine aminotransferase) are important indicators of liver function, but they do not directly reflect the effectiveness of lactulose in treating hepatic encephalopathy. These enzymes may improve as liver function improves, but they are not the most immediate or specific indicator of lactulose’s therapeutic effect.

C) The client is having 5-6 soft, non-formed stools each day: Lactulose works by drawing water into the bowel to promote stool softening and increase bowel movements, which can help lower ammonia levels in the body. While frequent soft stools can be an effect of lactulose, this is not the best measure of therapeutic response in hepatic encephalopathy. The primary goal is improvement in the client's mental status, not just bowel function.

D) The client is awake, alert, and oriented to their environment: The best assessment of the therapeutic response to lactulose is the improvement in the client’s mental status. Lactulose works by reducing the absorption of ammonia from the gastrointestinal tract, which is responsible for the cognitive impairments seen in hepatic encephalopathy. If the client is awake, alert, and oriented, this indicates that lactulose is effectively reducing the ammonia levels and improving the neurological status of the client, making it the most appropriate assessment.

A) The nurse formulates a goal "The client will be free from infection for the duration of the hospitalization": This action reflects the planning phase of the nursing process. The planning phase involves setting goals and determining the best interventions to achieve the desired outcomes for the client. In this case, the goal is to prevent infection, which is a specific, measurable outcome that can guide further interventions.

B) The nurse assesses the client's white blood cell count: Assessing the client's white blood cell count is an important step in data collection, which is part of the assessment phase of the nursing process. It helps the nurse gather information about the client's current health status but is not a planning activity. The nurse would use the information from the assessment phase to formulate goals and plan interventions.

C) The nurse administers the ordered oral antibiotics: Administering antibiotics is an action related to the implementation phase of the nursing process. The implementation phase involves carrying out the planned interventions. In this case, the administration of antibiotics is a direct action taken to address the risk for infection, but it is not the planning phase.

D) The nurse teaches the client the appropriate hand washing technique: Teaching hand hygiene is an important intervention, but it falls under the implementation phase of the nursing process. It involves educating the client to help prevent infection, which is an action taken based on the goals and plan developed earlier. While important, it’s not the planning phase itself.