A nurse is caring for a client who has lung cancer and has a sealed radiation implant. Which of the following actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply)

Choice A reason: Suctioning the ET removes secretions obstructing airflow, increasing peak airway pressure. Mucus buildup narrows the airway, triggering alarms. Clearing secretions restores patency, reduces pressure, and prevents complications like atelectasis or hypoxia, critical for effective ventilation in mechanically ventilated clients.
Choice B reason: Verifying ET placement ensures the tube is in the trachea. Misplacement, like esophageal intubation, increases airway resistance, elevating peak pressure. Confirmation via capnography or X-ray prevents hypoxia, ensuring proper ventilation and safety in clients on mechanical ventilators.
Choice C reason: Checking for kinks in ventilator tubing addresses mechanical obstructions raising peak airway pressure. Kinks restrict airflow, triggering alarms. Straightening tubing restores normal gas delivery, reducing resistance and maintaining effective ventilation, preventing hypoxia in mechanically ventilated clients.
Choice D reason: Administering a bronchodilator relieves bronchospasm, a common cause of high peak airway pressure. Bronchoconstriction narrows airways, increasing resistance. Bronchodilators relax smooth muscles, improving airflow and reducing pressure, addressing reversible causes like asthma in ventilated clients.
Choice E reason: Increasing tidal volume exacerbates high peak airway pressure, risking barotrauma or lung injury by forcing air against resistance. Addressing underlying causes like secretions or bronchospasm is safer, as higher volumes do not resolve the root issue, potentially worsening outcomes.

Choice A reason: Suggesting a support group helps the client address emotional resistance to the colostomy through peer support. This fosters psychological adjustment, reduces stigma, and promotes self-management by sharing experiences, aligning with evidence-based strategies to improve coping and adaptation in clients with new ostomies.
Choice B reason: Encouraging avoidance of negative feelings dismisses the client’s emotional response, hindering psychological adaptation. Accepting a colostomy requires processing grief and fear. Suppressing emotions delays coping, as psychological adjustment involves acknowledging feelings to integrate the stoma into the client’s self-image effectively.
Choice C reason: Instructing the partner to assume colostomy care undermines the client’s autonomy and delays self-management. Independence in stoma care is critical for psychological and practical adaptation. Dependency may hinder adjustment, as clients need to develop skills to manage their condition independently.
Choice D reason: Transferring to a rehabilitation facility is premature without trying in-hospital education or support groups. Most clients learn stoma care with nursing guidance. Transfer disrupts care continuity and may increase distress, failing to address emotional resistance directly, unlike peer support interventions.