A nurse is caring for a client who has influenza and isolation precautions in place. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to prevent the spread of infection?

A. Occupational therapist: While occupational therapists may be involved in the client's care post-stroke to address functional abilities and activities of daily living, including feeding and meal preparation, they are not specifically trained to assess and treat swallowing disorders like a speech-language pathologist.

B. Physical therapist: Physical therapists focus on improving mobility, strength, balance, and coordination. While they play a crucial role in stroke rehabilitation, particularly in addressing gait and motor deficits, they are not typically involved in the assessment and treatment of swallowing disorders.

C. Social worker: Social workers provide support and resources to clients and their families to address psychosocial and practical concerns related to illness, disability, and rehabilitation. While they may be involved in the client's care for broader support needs, they are not specifically trained to address swallowing disorders like a speech-language pathologist.

D. Speech-language pathologist

A speech-language pathologist specializes in evaluating and treating communication and swallowing disorders. In this scenario, the client's coughing during swallowing indicates a potential swallowing disorder, known as dysphagia, which is common after a stroke. The speech-language pathologist is trained to assess the client's swallowing function, identify any impairments, and develop a treatment plan to improve swallowing safety and efficiency. They may recommend strategies and exercises to address the client's coughing and prevent complications such as aspiration pneumonia.

A. Avoid pinching the skin when injecting the needle:

This instruction is not specific to the use of a prefilled, multidose pen for insulin administration. Pinching the skin may be necessary for some injection techniques but is not directly related to the use of a prefilled pen.

B. Use pen needles that have a safe-needle protection device attached.

Using pen needles with a safe-needle protection device attached ensures safe handling and disposal of the needle after use, reducing the risk of accidental needlestick injuries. These devices help prevent accidental needlesticks by covering the needle after use, reducing the risk of transmission of bloodborne pathogens.

C. Use the dominant hand to recap the needle before removing it from the pen device:

Recapping needles is not recommended as it increases the risk of needlestick injuries. Additionally, the use of the dominant hand for recapping is not essential and may not be safe practice.

D. Remove the needle from the pen device before placing the needle in a sharps container:

It's crucial to dispose of needles safely in a sharps container immediately after use without removing the needle from the pen device. Removing the needle before disposal increases the risk of needlestick injuries. The entire pen needle unit, including the needle, should be disposed of intact into an appropriate sharps container to minimize the risk of injury to healthcare workers and others handling the waste.