A nurse is talking with the parents of a 2-month-old infant who have chosen to not immunize the infant. Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

Choice A reason: Assuring the client about future pregnancies dismisses her current emotional loss, potentially invalidating grief. Stillbirth triggers complex hormonal and psychological responses, including postpartum depression risk. This approach fails to address immediate emotional needs, hindering the grieving process and emotional recovery in perinatal loss.
Choice B reason: Avoiding discussion of the newborn ignores the client’s need to process her loss. Acknowledging the baby’s existence is critical for healthy mourning, as psychological research shows verbalizing grief aids emotional integration. Silence may suppress coping, prolonging unresolved grief and complicating psychological adjustment post-stillbirth.
Choice C reason: Discouraging friends from seeing the newborn dismisses the client’s need for social support. Communal acknowledgment of loss mitigates isolation, a key factor in grief recovery. This action disrupts psychological coping by limiting social validation, potentially exacerbating feelings of loneliness and hindering emotional healing after stillbirth.
Choice D reason: Offering to take pictures acknowledges the baby’s significance, aiding the client’s grieving process. Photographs serve as tangible memories, supported by psychological research as therapeutic in perinatal loss. This intervention fosters emotional closure, validates the loss, and supports healthy mourning, aligning with compassionate care principles.

Choice A reason: Limiting potassium intake is dangerous with digoxin, as low potassium (hypokalemia) increases the risk of digoxin toxicity by enhancing drug binding to cardiac cells. Adequate potassium levels are critical for safe use, as digoxin affects cardiac contractility, making this instruction incorrect and potentially harmful.
Choice B reason: Repeating a digoxin dose if the child vomits within 1 hour is unsafe without medical consultation, as it risks overdose. Digoxin has a narrow therapeutic index, and toxicity can cause arrhythmias. Parents should contact the provider for guidance, making this instruction incorrect and dangerous.
Choice C reason: Adding digoxin to juice risks inaccurate dosing, as the child may not consume the full amount, leading to underdosing or toxicity if additional doses are given. Precise administration (e.g., via syringe) ensures correct dosing, critical for digoxin’s narrow therapeutic range, making this instruction inappropriate.
Choice D reason: Having the child drink water after digoxin ensures the dose is fully swallowed, preventing loss from spitting or incomplete ingestion. This supports accurate dosing, essential for digoxin’s safe use in heart failure, where it enhances cardiac output. This instruction is safe and effective, making it correct.