A nurse is preparing to conduct a fall risk screening on a client.
Which of the following variables will the nurse use to evaluate the client? (Select all that apply.)

Choice A rationale:

Maintaining the patency of the client's airway is the priority action. During a seizure, the client may lose consciousness and have difficulty breathing. Ensuring a clear airway is essential to prevent hypoxia and maintain oxygenation. This can be achieved by positioning the client on her side and removing any obstructions from her mouth to allow for adequate airflow.

Choice B rationale:

Identifying the poison the client ingested is important for providing appropriate medical treatment, but it is not the priority action in this scenario. Airway management takes precedence because it addresses the immediate threat to the client's life.

Choice C rationale:

Measuring the client's blood pressure is a necessary assessment, but it is not the priority during an active seizure. Airway management and seizure control are the immediate concerns. Once the seizure is controlled and the airway is secured, other assessments, including blood pressure measurement, can be performed.

Choice D rationale:

Positioning the client on her side is a correct action, but it should be done after ensuring the patency of the airway. Placing the client on her side helps prevent aspiration in case of vomiting during or after the seizure. However, it is not the priority over ensuring the client can breathe properly.

Choice A rationale:

Standard precautions, as established by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), are to be used for any client, regardless of whether an infection has been identified. This means that healthcare providers, including nurses, must apply standard precautions in the care of all patients to prevent the spread of infections. The rationale behind this choice is based on the fundamental principle of infection control: it is not always possible to identify patients who may be carrying harmful pathogens. Some patients may not show visible signs of infection or may be in the incubation period of a disease, during which they are contagious but not symptomatic. Therefore, applying standard precautions universally helps to create a safe healthcare environment for both patients and healthcare providers. Standard precautions include practices such as hand hygiene, the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) like gloves and masks, safe injection practices, and respiratory hygiene.

Choice B rationale:

This choice incorrectly specifies the mode of transmission for using standard precautions. Standard precautions are not limited to cases where the infection is transmitted on air currents. Airborne precautions are used for diseases that spread via small droplets in the air, such as tuberculosis and measles. Standard precautions, on the other hand, cover a broader range of infections and are applied to all patients.

Choice C rationale:

This choice incorrectly narrows down the usage of standard precautions to cases where the infection spreads via moist droplets. While it is true that standard precautions include measures to prevent the transmission of infections through respiratory droplets, they are not limited to this mode of transmission. Standard precautions encompass various modes of transmission, including contact with blood and other body fluids, as well as contact with contaminated surfaces or items.

Choice D rationale:

This choice wrongly states that standard precautions are only used when there is an infection spread by indirect contact with an organism. Standard precautions include both direct and indirect contact with patients and their environment. It is not limited to specific types of infections or modes of transmission.