The nurse instructs a class of postpartum women on methods to avoid nipple soreness while breastfeeding.
Which comment by a class participant indicates the need for further instruction?

The correct answer is choice A. The client is trying to reassure herself concerning the present situation.This is a common coping strategy for women who face the risk of preterm labor and delivery.The client may be experiencing fear, anxiety, or denial about the possible outcomes of her pregnancy.

Choice B is wrong because coping as expected in this situation implies that there is a normal or standard way of coping with preterm labor, which is not true.Different women may cope differently depending on their personal, social, and emotional factors.

Choice C is wrong because anxious to see the new baby does not reflect the client’s statement.

The client is not expressing excitement or eagerness about the birth, but rather a rationalization that everything will be okay despite the risks.

Choice D is wrong because able to use previously learned knowledge in a new situation does not apply to the client’s statement.

The client is not using her sister’s experience as a source of information or guidance, but rather as a way of minimizing or dismissing her own situation.

The correct answer is choice A: To minimize the patient’s oxygen needs.

A neutral thermal environment is an environment in which a neonate maintains a normal body temperature while minimizing energy expenditure and oxygen consumption.This is important for the wellbeing of neonates, especially those who are preterm or have respiratory insufficiency.

Choice B is wrong because the conversion of glucose to lactic acid is not a desired outcome of a neutral thermal environment.This conversion occurs when there is inadequate oxygen supply to the tissues, resulting in anaerobic metabolism and metabolic acidosis.

Choice C is wrong because the absorption of surfactant from the alveoli is not affected by a neutral thermal environment.

Surfactant is a substance that reduces surface tension and prevents alveolar collapse.It is produced by type II alveolar cells and secreted into the alveoli.

Choice D is wrong because the metabolism of brown fat stores is not a desired outcome of a neutral thermal environment.

Brown fat is a specialized tissue that generates heat by nonshivering thermogenesis in response to cold stress.

It is located in the nape of the neck, between the scapulae, and around the kidneys and adrenals.It increases the metabolic rate and oxygen consumption of neonates.