A nurse is teaching a client who is receiving radiation therapy about skin protection. Which of the following client statements indicates an understanding of the teaching?

Rationale:

A. Abdomen: The abdominal skin may be loose due to age-related changes, weight fluctuations, or prior pregnancies, making it less reliable for assessing dehydration in older adults. Lifting skin here may give a false impression of skin turgor.

B. Shoulder: Skin over the shoulder can be affected by aging, sun exposure, or decreased subcutaneous tissue, which can distort the assessment of hydration status. It is not the preferred site for older adults.

C. Neck: The skin of the neck is thin and may show wrinkles or sagging unrelated to hydration. Assessing turgor here is less accurate in older clients and may overestimate skin elasticity changes due to aging.

D. Sternum: The skin over the sternum is relatively less affected by age-related changes and provides a more reliable site for assessing turgor in older adults. Lifting this area allows the nurse to evaluate hydration status more accurately without interference from natural skin laxity elsewhere.

Rationale for correct choices

• obtain IV access: The client’s blood pressure has dropped significantly from 90/50 mm Hg to 76/45 mm Hg, and heart rate is elevated, indicating hypovolemic shock likely due to gastrointestinal bleeding. Establishing IV access is critical to provide rapid fluid resuscitation and allow administration of medications or blood products as needed.

• prepare to administer IV fluids: With hypotension and tachycardia, the client requires fluid resuscitation to restore circulating volume and improve perfusion prior to undergoing an invasive procedure like endoscopy. IV fluids will help stabilize hemodynamics and reduce the risk of complications during the procedure.

Rationale for incorrect choices

• recheck the client’s oxygen saturation: The client’s oxygen saturation is stable at 98% on room air, indicating adequate oxygenation. While monitoring is important, it does not address the more urgent issue of hypovolemia.

• call the surgical suite to notify that the client is arriving STAT: Notifying the suite is necessary for scheduling, but immediate intervention to stabilize the client’s hemodynamic status takes precedence over notification. Transport should not occur until the client is stabilized.

• place the client in a supine position with feet elevated: While this may provide temporary support for hypotension, it does not treat the underlying hypovolemia. IV access and fluid resuscitation are more effective and urgent interventions.

• check an ECG: Although ECG monitoring may be helpful in hypotensive clients, it is not the immediate priority over fluid resuscitation and IV access.

• check an arterial blood gas: ABG analysis is not immediately necessary because the client’s oxygenation is adequate and the priority is stabilizing circulation.

• transport the client for endoscopy: Transporting the client before hemodynamic stabilization would be unsafe given hypotension and tachycardia. Resuscitation must occur prior to the procedure.