A nurse is reviewing the documentation of a client's blood pressure by a newly licensed nurse. The documentation states, "Blood pressure 102/58 mm Hg. client sitting up in a chair." Which of the following information should the nurse clarify?

A. Social determinants of health refer to the social and economic conditions that influence health outcomes. This includes factors such as income, education, employment, social support, and access to healthcare. These conditions can significantly impact an individual's overall well-being and health status.
B. While ethnic background can influence health outcomes and access to resources, SDOH are broader and encompass various factors, including socioeconomic status, geographic location, and education level, rather than being solely determined by ethnicity. Therefore, this option oversimplifies the concept of SDOH.
C. Identifying and understanding SDOH is essential for addressing and reducing health disparities, not increasing them. By recognizing these determinants, healthcare providers and policymakers can develop targeted interventions and policies to improve health equity and access to care.
D. While psychological factors, such as mental health and stress, can influence health outcomes, they are not typically categorized under the traditional definition of social determinants of health. SDOH primarily focus on social, economic, and environmental conditions rather than individual psychological factors. However, mental health can be affected by social determinants.

A. Indirect contact transmission occurs when a person touches a contaminated object or surface (fomite) and then touches their body, which can lead to infection. In this case, the client acquired the infection by touching a contaminated towel, making this an example of indirect contact transmission.
B. A vector is an organism, often an insect, that transmits pathogens from one host to another. Examples include mosquitoes transmitting malaria or ticks transmitting Lyme disease. Staphylococcus aureus does not involve a vector in its transmission; thus, this option is incorrect.
C. Droplet transmission occurs when respiratory droplets carrying infectious pathogens are expelled from an infected person and enter another person’s mucous membranes (e.g., nose, mouth, eyes) during actions like coughing or sneezing.
D. Airborne transmission involves pathogens that are carried in the air over long distances and can be inhaled by individuals. Diseases such as tuberculosis are transmitted this way. However, Staphylococcus aureus infection through touching a towel does not involve airborne transmission.