A nurse is instructing a school-age child who has asthma about the use of a peak expiratory flow meter.

Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Having interdisciplinary team meetings for the client on a regular basis.

This action best promotes communication among staff caring for the client because it allows for consistent and coordinated care planning, information sharing, and goal setting for the client who has expressive aphasia and right hemiparesis following a stroke.

Choice A is wrong because posting swallowing precautions at the head of the client’s bed does not promote communication among staff, but rather informs them of the client’s risk of aspiration due to dysphagia, which is a common complication of stroke.

Choice B is wrong because noting changes in the treatment plan in the client’s medical record is a standard practice that does not necessarily enhance communication among staff, but rather documents the client’s progress and interventions.

Choice D is wrong because recording the client’s progress in the nurses’ notes is also a standard practice that does not necessarily enhance communication among staff but rather provides a summary of the client’s status and care.

Expressive aphasia is an acquired language disorder that affects the ability to produce spoken or written language, while right hemiparesis is a weakness or partial paralysis of the right side of the body.

Both of these conditions are caused by damage to the left hemisphere of the brain, which is responsible for language and motor control of the right side of the body. Stroke and traumatic brain injury are common causes of left hemisphere-damage

The correct answer is choice B. Determine the client’s knowledge about diaphragm use. This is the first action the nurse should take because it allows the nurse to assess the client’s readiness to learn, identify any knowledge gaps, and tailor the teaching to the client’s needs.

Some of the other choices are wrong because:

• Choice A. Supervise return demonstration of diaphragm use.

This is not the first action the nurse should take because it assumes that the client already knows how to use the diaphragm correctly and safely. The nurse should first teach the client how to insert, remove, and care for the diaphragm before asking for a return demonstration.

• Choice C. Document the client’s level of understanding about potential adverse effects.

This is not the first action the nurse should take because it is part of the evaluation phase of teaching, not the assessment phase. The nurse should first determine what the client knows and needs to know about diaphragm use and its possible risks and benefits.

• Choice D. Teach the client how to insert the diaphragm.

This is not the first action the nurse should take because it is part of the implementation phase of teaching, not the assessment phase. The nurse should first assess the client’s knowledge, motivation, and preferences before providing instruction on how to use the diaphragm.

A contraceptive diaphragm is a birth control device that prevents sperm from entering the uterus.

It is a small, soft silicone or rubber cup with a flexible rim that covers the cervix.

It is inserted into the vagina with spermicide before sex and is held in place by the pelvic muscles. It is a reusable type of contraception that women can use to avoid getting pregnant.