A nurse is performing an abdominal assessment as part of a client’s comprehensive physical examination. Which of the following is the final step the nurse should perform?

Choice A reason: Asking an experienced nurse to assist ensures the procedure is performed safely while allowing the newly licensed nurse to gain competence. Tracheal suctioning requires sterile technique and skill to avoid complications like hypoxia or trauma. This approach supports patient safety and professional development, aligning with nursing standards.
Choice B reason: Refusing the assignment is inappropriate, as tracheal suctioning is within an RN’s scope of practice. Refusal avoids responsibility without addressing the client’s needs or the nurse’s professional growth. Seeking assistance ensures safe care while building skills, making this choice less effective and unprofessional.
Choice C reason: Performing tracheal suctioning without prior experience risks patient harm, as it requires precise technique to prevent complications like mucosal damage or infection. Without guidance, errors are more likely. Seeking supervision ensures safety and competence, making this choice unsafe and inappropriate for a novice nurse.
Choice D reason: Delegating tracheal suctioning to assistive personnel is inappropriate, as it is a sterile procedure requiring RN-level skills and judgment. Assistive personnel are not trained for invasive procedures like suctioning, which risks complications. This choice violates delegation principles and compromises patient safety, making it incorrect.

Choice A reason: Decreased serotonin levels are linked to depression, as serotonin regulates mood in the brain’s limbic system. Antidepressants like SSRIs increase serotonin, alleviating low mood and anhedonia, making this client a prime candidate for therapy to address neurochemical imbalances in depression.
Choice B reason: Decreased cortisol is not directly tied to depression requiring antidepressants. Cortisol dysregulation may occur in stress disorders, but antidepressants target serotonin or norepinephrine, not adrenal function, making this client less suitable for antidepressant therapy based on this imbalance.
Choice C reason: Elevated dopamine is linked to schizophrenia or mania, not depression. Antidepressants target serotonin or norepinephrine, not dopamine. This client may need antipsychotics or mood stabilizers, not antidepressants, as dopamine excess does not indicate depressive pathology requiring such therapy.
Choice D reason: Elevated thyroid levels suggest hyperthyroidism, mimicking anxiety, not depression. Antidepressants are not indicated, as treatment targets thyroid function. Depression may coexist, but thyroid correction is prioritized, making this client unsuitable for primary antidepressant therapy based on this finding.