A school nurse is assessing a child and notes various bruises on the child's body that are unexplained. Which of the following actions should the school nurse take?

Rationale:

A. Decreased inflammation: Furosemide is a loop diuretic that reduces fluid volume by promoting diuresis. While reducing edema may decrease swelling, “decreased inflammation” is not the primary measure of effectiveness for furosemide, as inflammation involves cellular processes rather than fluid removal.

B. Increased blood pressure: Furosemide typically lowers blood pressure by reducing circulating fluid volume. An increase in blood pressure would suggest the medication is not effective or another underlying issue is present, so this is not an expected finding.

C. Decreased pain: Pain reduction may occur indirectly if edema is relieved, but it is not a direct indicator of furosemide’s effectiveness. Pain levels are subjective and can be influenced by multiple factors, making this a less reliable measure.

D. Weight loss: A reduction in body weight reflects fluid loss, which is the primary therapeutic effect of furosemide. Monitoring daily weights is a standard and objective way to evaluate the effectiveness of diuretic therapy in clients with fluid volume excess.

Rationale:

A. Evaluate why the client was not ambulated.: The first step in addressing a missed delegated task is to assess the reason it was not completed. Understanding whether barriers were related to the AP, client condition, workload, or communication helps the nurse plan corrective action and prevents recurrence.

B. Ambulate the client on behalf of the AP.: While ensuring the client’s needs are met is important, jumping straight to performing the task bypasses assessment of the underlying issue. Immediate action may address the symptom but not the cause of the missed delegation.

C. Supervise the AP performing the task.: Supervision is appropriate for ongoing tasks but is not the first action once a task has already been missed. The nurse must first determine why the task was not completed before implementing supervision.

D. Remind the AP of her assigned tasks.: Reminding the AP without assessing why the task was missed does not address potential systemic or situational barriers. It may be necessary later but is not the initial step in problem resolution.