The nurse has reviewed the Nurses' Notes and Provider Prescriptions at 1100 and Diagnostic Results on Day 3.

The nurse is preparing the client for surgery. Which of the following actions should the nurse take. Select all that apply.

• Lung assessment: The client's lungs are clear bilaterally with no signs of respiratory distress or abnormal breath sounds. There is no indication of pulmonary complications, so no further immediate action is needed regarding the lung assessment.
• Vertigo: Vertigo is a common complication following a stapedectomy due to disturbance of the inner ear structures. However, it still requires monitoring because severe or worsening vertigo can increase the risk of falls and indicate inner ear trauma or dysfunction.
• Facial nerve assessment: The presence of left facial droop and asymmetrical smile indicates possible injury to the facial nerve during surgery. This finding is abnormal and requires immediate provider notification for further neurological evaluation and management.
• Pain rating: A pain rating of 5 out of 10 is moderate and, following ear surgery, it should be addressed. Proper pain control is important not only for comfort but also to reduce the risk of increased intracranial pressure from straining or agitation.
• Diminished hearing: Some decrease in hearing can occur temporarily after a stapedectomy due to packing or swelling, but it still needs further monitoring. Persistent or worsening hearing loss could suggest a surgical complication, such as prosthesis dislocation.
• Pupils: The pupils are equal, smaller postoperatively but still reactive to light, which is expected following anesthesia and is not concerning. No immediate intervention is necessary based on pupil assessment findings.

A. Document an incident report in a client's medical record: Incident reports are essential for internal documentation but should not be placed in the client’s medical record. Including them in the medical record can lead to legal complications. This action addresses individual events rather than contributing to systematic quality improvement efforts.

B. Notify the provider if a client falls: Notifying the provider about a fall is a necessary clinical step to ensure immediate evaluation and care for the client. However, simply informing the provider does not contribute directly to a quality improvement initiative aimed at analyzing and reducing overall fall rates.

C. Assist with the care of a client who has fallen: Providing immediate care after a fall is crucial to ensure client safety and manage injuries. However, assisting after the fall focuses on acute clinical response rather than on proactive measures to identify trends and reduce the incidence of future falls.

D. Collect data about each fall: Collecting data is a fundamental part of quality improvement projects. By systematically gathering information on when, where, and how falls occur, patterns can be identified, leading to the development of targeted interventions aimed at preventing future incidents.