A nurse is teaching a newly licensed nurse about reducing the risk for healthcare-associated infections.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include?

Choice A rationale:

Discard the client's last void at the end of the collection time period. This choice is not appropriate. When conducting a 24-hour urine collection, it's essential to include all urine produced during the specified time frame. Discarding the last void would result in an incomplete and inaccurate collection.

Choice B rationale:

Include toilet paper with the collected urine. This choice is also incorrect. Toilet paper is not typically included in a 24-hour urine collection. The purpose of this collection is to accurately measure substances excreted by the kidneys over a specific time period. Toilet paper is not part of this measurement and should not be included.

Choice D rationale:

This helps prevent the breakdown of certain substances and ensures the sample's accuracy. Failure to refrigerate the urine can lead to inaccurate test results. Now, let's discuss the rationale for the correct answer, choice C:

Choice C rationale:

The first void at the beginning of the collection period is typically discarded, as it represents the urine that was in the bladder before the timed collection started. This helps ensure that the collection is accurate and only includes urine produced during the specified 24-hour period. It's important to follow this protocol to obtain reliable test results.

Choice A rationale:

Holding the tip of the syringe at least 1.3 cm (0.5 in) above the wound while irrigating is not the best practice for wound irrigation. It's crucial to maintain a close distance to the wound to ensure that the irrigation solution effectively cleans the area.

Choice B rationale:

Chilling the irrigant prior to the procedure is not necessary and could be uncomfortable for the patient. Room temperature or slightly warmed sterile saline solution is typically used for wound irrigation to prevent temperature-related discomfort.

Choice C rationale:

Flushing the wound from the most contaminated area to the cleanest area is an incorrect approach for wound irrigation. The wound should be irrigated from the cleanest to the most contaminatedto prevent contamination of previously clean areas and ensures thorough cleaning of the wound.

Choice D rationale:

Irrigating the wound until the solution that is draining is clear is a common practice for wound irrigation. It indicates that the wound is free of contaminants, debris, and infectious material.