A nurse is reinforcing teaching with another nurse about how to change an ostomy appliance for a client who has a sigmoid colostomy.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?
Create an opening on the skin barrier that is 1.27 cm (0.5 in) larger than the client's stoma
Use a moisturizing soap to clean the skin around the client's stoma
Empty the client's ostomy pouch before removing the skin barrier
Change the client's ostomy appliance 1 hr after breakfast
Correct Answer : C
A. Create an opening on the skin barrier that is 1.27 cm (0.5 in) larger than the client's stoma. The opening on the skin barrier should be cut to fit closely around the stoma, approximately 0.3-0.6 cm (1/8 to 1/4 inch) larger than the stoma size. A larger opening (like 0.5 inches) could expose too much surrounding skin, increasing the risk of skin irritation from contact with the stoma's effluent.
B. Use a moisturizing soap to clean the skin around the client's stoma. Moisturizing soaps should be avoided because they can leave a residue on the skin, which may interfere with the adhesion of the ostomy appliance. The skin around the stoma should be cleaned with mild soap and water, or water alone, and then dried thoroughly before applying the new appliance.
C. Empty the client's ostomy pouch before removing the skin barrier. Emptying the ostomy pouch before removing the skin barrier is a practical step to reduce spillage of stool during the appliance change, making the process cleaner and easier to manage. It also minimizes the risk of contamination of the surrounding area or wound.
D. Change the client's ostomy appliance 1 hour after breakfast. Ostomy appliances are best changed when the bowel is least active, which is usually before a meal or several hours after eating. Changing the appliance shortly after a meal, such as 1 hour after breakfast, may result in more stoma output, making it harder to manage the appliance change.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Overhearing a discussion about a client's private information is a breach of confidentiality, and it is the nurse's responsibility to address the situation promptly.
While documenting the event in the client's progress notes might be necessary in some cases, it is not the initial action to take in this scenario. Similarly, submitting an incident report to the risk manager may be required for documentation purposes, but it is not the immediate action to address the breach of confidentiality.
Informing the client of the APs' actions may not be necessary unless there is evidence that the client's privacy has been compromised or if the client specifically requests to know. However, the priority is to address the issue of the conversation between the APs and ensure that confidentiality is maintained.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
This step is part of the process when mixing NPH and regular insulin in a single syringe. After injecting air into the NPH insulin vial, you should inject an equal amount of air (in this case, 15 units) into the regular insulin vial to maintain pressure balance. This allows for easy withdrawal of the prescribed doses of each insulin type in the same syringe without causing a vacuum in the vials.
After injecting air into the NPH insulin vial (step 1), the nurse should proceed to inject air into the regular insulin vial (step 2) before withdrawing the insulin doses in the subsequent steps.
Verifying the dosage with another nurse is not necessary in this step, as it is done prior to drawing up the insulin. However, it is good practice to have another nurse double-check the dosage before administration.
Injecting air into the regular insulin vial is not required at this stage. It is only necessary when withdrawing the regular insulin dose.
Placing the cap over the needle should be done after withdrawing the desired dose of insulin and before administering it to the client for safety and to prevent needlestick injuries.
The correct sequence when mixing NPH and regular insulin in a single syringe is as follows:
- Inject air into the NPH insulin vial (in this case, 10 units of air).
- Inject air into the regular insulin vial (in this case, 15 units of air).
- Withdraw the prescribed dose of NPH insulin (10 units) from the NPH vial.
- Withdraw the prescribed dose of regular insulin (15 units) from the regular insulin vial.
So, after injecting air into the NPH insulin vial (step 1), the nurse should proceed to inject air into the regular insulin vial (step 2) before withdrawing the insulin doses in the subsequent steps.
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