A nurse is reviewing the medical record of a client who had abdominal surgery 2 days ago. The nurse should identify that which of the following findings indicates the client is at risk for delayed wound healing?

Choice A reason: Suggesting a support group helps the client address emotional resistance to the colostomy through peer support. This fosters psychological adjustment, reduces stigma, and promotes self-management by sharing experiences, aligning with evidence-based strategies to improve coping and adaptation in clients with new ostomies.
Choice B reason: Encouraging avoidance of negative feelings dismisses the client’s emotional response, hindering psychological adaptation. Accepting a colostomy requires processing grief and fear. Suppressing emotions delays coping, as psychological adjustment involves acknowledging feelings to integrate the stoma into the client’s self-image effectively.
Choice C reason: Instructing the partner to assume colostomy care undermines the client’s autonomy and delays self-management. Independence in stoma care is critical for psychological and practical adaptation. Dependency may hinder adjustment, as clients need to develop skills to manage their condition independently.
Choice D reason: Transferring to a rehabilitation facility is premature without trying in-hospital education or support groups. Most clients learn stoma care with nursing guidance. Transfer disrupts care continuity and may increase distress, failing to address emotional resistance directly, unlike peer support interventions.

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.