A nurse in an outpatient clinic is assessing a client who is pregnant for unsafe behaviors during pregnancy. Which of the following findings indicates a need for further evaluation?

Rationale:

A. Increased platelet count: Preeclampsia is often associated with thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), not an increase. A falling platelet count can be a warning sign of worsening disease or progression to HELLP syndrome.

B. Increased protein in urine: Proteinuria is one of the hallmark signs of preeclampsia, resulting from glomerular damage in the kidneys. A 24-hour urine protein test or dipstick is commonly used to detect elevated protein levels during pregnancy.

C. Decreased BUN: Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) may increase if renal perfusion is compromised, but a decrease is not typical in preeclampsia. Kidney involvement often leads to elevated BUN and creatinine levels.

D. Decreased serum uric acid: Preeclampsia usually causes elevated serum uric acid levels due to decreased renal clearance. A drop in uric acid would be inconsistent with this diagnosis

Rationale:

A. Encourage the client to attend a group therapy session: This action does not immediately address the restraint status. The client’s calm and cooperative behavior should prompt reassessment of restraint necessity before introducing other interventions.

B. Continue to monitor the client every 15 min: Ongoing monitoring is important but it is not the priority once the client has de-escalated. If the behavior no longer warrants restraints, the nurse should act promptly to remove them to preserve the client’s rights and dignity.

C. Remove the restraints from the client: Restraints should be discontinued as soon as the client demonstrates self-control and no longer poses a risk to themselves or others. Keeping restraints on unnecessarily can lead to psychological harm, reduced mobility, and legal/ethical violations.

D. Offer the client PRN pain medication: Offering pain medication assumes the client is experiencing discomfort, but there is no indication of pain in the scenario. Medication is not the priority when behavioral signs point to de-escalation and restraint removal is warranted.