A nurse is caring for a client who is postoperative following a mastectomy.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take to help the client cope with the body image change resulting from the surgery?

The nurse should begin discharge planning upon the client’s admission. This is because discharge planning is a key aspect of effective care that reduces the length of stay, emergency readmissions and pressure on hospital beds. Discharge planning involves considering what support might be required by the client in the community, referring the client to these services, and liaising with these services to manage the client’s discharge.

Choice A is wrong because the nurse is not responsible for providing a written prescription for a client home care referral. This is the role of the provider or another authorised prescriber.

Choice C is wrong because a home hazard appraisal does not include an assessment of the client’s financial resources. A home hazard appraisal is an evaluation of the safety and accessibility of the client’s home environment.

Choice D is wrong because a medication reconciliation is not required 24 hours prior to the client’s discharge. A medication reconciliation is a process of comparing the medications a client is taking with those prescribed for them to avoid errors or discrepancies. A medication reconciliation should be done at every transition of care, including admission, transfer and discharge.

Proteinuria is the presence of excess protein in the urine, which is a hallmark of nephrotic syndrome. Nephrotic syndrome is a kidney disorder that causes increased permeability of the glomerular basement membrane, leading to loss of protein and other substances in the urine.

Choice B is wrong because hypolipidemia is a low level of lipids in the blood, which is not expected in nephrotic syndrome. On the contrary, nephrotic syndrome causes hyperlipidemia, which is a high level of lipids in the blood, due to increased synthesis and decreased clearance of lipoproteins.

Choice C is wrong because hyperalbuminemia is a high level of albumin in the blood, which is not expected in nephrotic syndrome. On the contrary, nephrotic syndrome causes hypoalbuminemia, which is a low level of albumin in the blood, due to loss of albumin in the urine and decreased synthesis by the liver.

Choice D is wrong because increased hemoglobin is not expected in nephrotic syndrome. On the contrary, nephrotic syndrome can cause anemia, which is a low level of hemoglobin in the blood, due to loss of iron and erythropoietin in the urine and decreased production of red blood cells by the bone marrow.

Normal ranges for proteinuria are less than 150 mg per day or less than 10 mg per deciliter on a random urine sample. Normal ranges for serum lipids are total cholesterol less than 200 mg per deciliter, LDL cholesterol less than 100 mg per deciliter, HDL cholesterol more than 40 mg per deciliter for men and more than 50 mg per deciliter for women, and triglycerides less than 150 mg per

deciliter. Normal ranges for serum albumin are 3.5 to 5.0 grams per deciliter.