A nurse is caring for a client who has cirrhosis of the liver. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. Inserting an indwelling urinary catheter is within the scope of practice of an LPN and is an appropriate task to delegate.
B. Measuring abdominal girth involves assessment of ascites progression, which requires the nurse’s judgment and should not be delegated.
C. Assessing and documenting the client’s level of consciousness requires critical nursing judgment and must be performed by the RN.
D. Measuring gastric drainage every 2 hr is an appropriate task for an AP, not specifically requiring an LPN.

A. Apply oxygen at 3 L/min per nasal cannula: While oxygenation is important, there is no

indication in the scenario that the client requires oxygen supplementation at this time. Checking oxygen saturation would be more relevant if there were respiratory concerns.

B. Review the chest x-ray report: This is the most appropriate action before initiating the IV

infusion to ensure proper placement of the central venous catheter and absence of complications such as pneumothorax or malposition.

C. Flush the catheter with sterile water: Flushing the catheter with sterile water is not necessary before starting the infusion, especially without confirming proper catheter placement through chest x-ray.

D. Obtain a peripheral blood glucose level: While monitoring blood glucose levels may be

important in certain clinical situations, it is not directly relevant to initiating an IV infusion of Ringer's lactate via a central venous catheter.