A nurse is assisting with staff education about hand hygiene.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Choice A rationale:

The statement "Avoid breastfeeding for 3 days after receiving the vaccine" is not accurate. Breastfeeding can continue after the MMR vaccination without any adverse effects on the infant. There is no need to interrupt breastfeeding.

Choice B rationale:

The correct instruction is to "Avoid pregnancy for at least 28 days after receiving the vaccine." This is because the MMR vaccine is a live attenuated vaccine, and there is a theoretical risk of transmitting the virus to a developing fetus. Waiting for 28 days after vaccination allows the woman's immune system to respond to the vaccine and reduce any potential risk to the fetus. This is especially important during the postpartum period when a woman may be at risk of becoming pregnant again.

Choice C rationale:

The statement "If you are allergic to gluten, you should not receive this vaccine" is not accurate. The MMR vaccine does not contain gluten as an ingredient. Allergic reactions to the MMR vaccine are generally related to components of the vaccine itself, not gluten.

Choice D rationale:

The instruction to "Your partner should also receive the MMR vaccine" is not a standard recommendation for postpartum women. While it is essential for individuals to be up-to-date on their vaccinations, the focus in this scenario should be on the postpartum woman receiving the MMR vaccine to protect herself and any future pregnancies.

The correct answer is: a. The client’s date of birth.

Choice A reason: The client’s date of birth is a critical identifier in healthcare settings. It is unique to the individual and does not change, making it a reliable way to confirm a patient’s identity. This is especially important in acute care settings where accurate patient identification is crucial for safe medication administration. Using the date of birth along with another identifier, such as the patient’s name, aligns with the best practices for patient safety.

Choice B reason: While a client’s full medical diagnosis is important information for a nurse to know, it is not used as an identifier for medication administration. The diagnosis helps inform treatment decisions and care planning but does not uniquely identify a patient. Multiple patients could have the same diagnosis, which could lead to medication errors if used as an identifier.

Choice C reason: A client’s telephone number is not a standard identifier used in healthcare settings for medication administration. Telephone numbers can change and are not unique to an individual. They also do not provide immediate verification of a patient’s identity at the bedside.

Choice D reason: The room number of the client is not a primary identifier for patient identification in medication administration. Room numbers are not unique to individuals and can change if a patient is moved. It is possible for errors to occur if room numbers are used as the sole identifier, as another patient could be in that room at a different time.