A nurse is assisting in the care of a client who had a stroke and is having difficulty swallowing. The nurse should recommend a referral to which of the following members of the interprofessional team?

Rationale:

A. "My advance directives will list what treatments I want if I'm unable to communicate.": Advance directives allow individuals to specify their healthcare preferences in situations where they are incapacitated. This includes decisions about life-sustaining treatments, resuscitation, and other medical interventions.

B. "My advance directives must be signed by my adult child in the presence of a judge.": Advance directives usually require the client’s signature and the signatures of two adult witnesses or notarization, depending on state laws. A judge’s involvement is typically not required.

C. "My family will be informed about my funeral choices in my advance directives.": Funeral or postmortem arrangements are not addressed in advance directives. These documents strictly relate to medical care preferences and decision-making in the event the client becomes unable to speak for themselves.

D. “I can indicate the organs will donate in my advance directives.": While some advance directive forms may include a section about organ donation, formal organ donor registration is typically completed through a driver’s license, organ donor card, or state registry—not as the main purpose of an advance directive.

Rationale:

A. Collecting a clean catch urine specimen: This is within the nurse’s scope of practice and is a routine part of preoperative preparation to screen for infection or other abnormalities before surgery.

B. Explaining the risks of the procedure: Explaining surgical risks is the responsibility of the provider performing the procedure. Nurses may reinforce information but are not authorized to introduce or explain risks, as this constitutes part of informed consent.

C. Reinforcing preoperative teaching: Reinforcement of teaching provided by the surgeon or anesthesiologist is within the nurse’s role. The nurse can clarify instructions or ensure the client understands how to prepare for surgery based on what was already explained.

D. Performing a preoperative skin preparation: Nurses are responsible for tasks like preoperative skin prep, which helps reduce infection risk. This is a common nursing duty that supports surgical readiness.