A nurse is assisting with the plan of care for a client who is 4 hr postoperative from a subtotal thyroidectomy. Which of the following implementations should the nurse recommend?

Choice A: Obtain the client’s vital signs. This is an important nursing action, but not the priority. The nurse should monitor the client’s vital signs for signs of infection, fluid imbalance, or shock, but these are not as urgent as relieving the client’s pain.

Choice B: Weigh the client. This is a necessary nursing action, but not the priority. The nurse should weigh the client daily to assess their fluid status and nutritional needs, but this can be done after addressing the client’s pain.

Choice C: Administer pain medication. This is the priority nursing action because the nurse should follow the principle of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and address the client’s physiological needs first. Pain can interfere with the client’s healing process and affect their quality of life.

Choice D: Change the client’s dressing. This is a required nursing action, but not the priority. The nurse should change the client’s dressing to prevent infection and promote wound healing, but this can be done after administering pain medication to make the procedure more comfortable for the client.

Choice A: Check for bleeding on the dressing at the back of the client’s neck. This is an implementation that the nurse should recommend for a client who is 4 hr postoperative from a subtotal thyroidectomy, which is a surgical removal of part of the thyroid gland. The nurse should check for bleeding on the dressing at the back of the client’s neck because this is where blood can pool and go unnoticed. Bleeding can cause hematoma, compression of the airway, and respiratory distress.

Choice B: Ensure that acetylcysteine IV is readily available. This is not an implementation that the nurse should recommend for a client who is 4 hr postoperative from a subtotal thyroidectomy. Acetylcysteine IV is an antidote for acetaminophen overdose, which can cause liver damage, but it is not related to thyroid surgery.

Choice C: Place the client in a side-lying position. This is not an implementation that the nurse should recommend for a client who is 4 hr postoperative from a subtotal thyroidectomy. The nurse should place the client in a semi-Fowler’s position, which is a position with the head of the bed elevated to 30 to 45 degrees. This position can facilitate breathing, reduce edema, and prevent aspiration.

Choice D: Check the client for asterixis. This is not an implementation that the nurse should recommend for a client who is 4 hr postoperative from a subtotal thyroidectomy. Asterixis is a sign of hepatic encephalopathy, which is a condition caused by liver failure, but it is not related to thyroid surgery.