A primigravida at 40 weeks gestation is contracting every 2 minutes, and her cervix is 9 cm dilated and 100% effaced. The fetal heart rate is 120 beats/minute. The client is screaming and her husband is alarmed. Which intervention should the nurse implement?

Choice A reason: Feeling guilty about drinking (CAGE’s “G”) suggests awareness of problematic use, indicating psychological dependence. However, guilt is less specific than morning drinking, as it may occur in binge or social drinking without physical addiction. Morning drinking reflects physiological dependence, a stronger marker of chronic alcoholism.

Choice B reason: Needing a morning drink (CAGE’s “E” for eye-opener) indicates physical dependence, a hallmark of alcoholism. This reflects tolerance and withdrawal, where alcohol stabilizes GABA/glutamate imbalances to prevent symptoms like tremors. It’s the most specific indicator, showing the body’s reliance on alcohol, central to alcoholism’s pathophysiology.

Choice C reason: Annoyance at drinking criticism (CAGE’s “A”) suggests defensiveness, possibly indicating psychological dependence. It’s less specific than morning drinking, reflecting social dynamics rather than physical addiction. Alcoholism involves physiological changes, and morning drinking directly demonstrates the body’s need for alcohol to manage withdrawal, making this less indicative.

Choice D reason: Feeling the need to cut down (CAGE’s “C”) shows recognition of excessive drinking but is less specific than morning drinking, which signifies physical dependence from chronic alcohol-induced neurotransmitter changes. This question captures awareness but not the physiological addiction that morning drinking indicates, central to diagnosing alcoholism.

Choice A reason: Facilitating a family meeting with palliative care discusses end-of-life goals in COPD, where airway obstruction causes respiratory failure. However, notifying the provider of the living will ensures immediate alignment with the client’s wishes, especially on ventilation, addressing the urgent need to respect legal directives in a critical scenario.

Choice B reason: Alerting staff about do-not-resuscitate (DNR) wishes assumes the living will specifies DNR, which requires confirmation. The provider must review the document first, as end-stage COPD necessitates clarity on ventilation preferences to guide urgent care, making notification the priority over premature staff alerts.

Choice C reason: Placing the living will in the EHR ensures documentation but does not immediately affect care. In end-stage COPD with respiratory distress, notifying the provider ensures the client’s wishes, like avoiding intubation, are followed promptly, preventing unwanted interventions, making this more urgent than administrative tasks.

Choice D reason: Notifying the provider of the living will is critical, as it legally specifies the client’s preferences, potentially refusing ventilation in end-stage COPD, where dyspnea results from irreversible obstruction. This ensures treatment respects autonomy, guiding immediate care to align with palliative goals, preventing inappropriate interventions during a crisis.