The nurse is teaching the community about blood pressure. What blood pressure finding by the nurse indicates that no changes in therapy are needed for a client with newly diagnosed hypertension?

The most appropriate nursing intervention to improve adhesion of the ECG leads on a male client with abundant chest hair is to clip the chest hair with the patient's permission before applying the leads. Chest hair can interfere with the adhesion of the ECG leads, resulting in poor signal quality and potentially affecting the accuracy of the ECG recording. By clipping the chest hair, the nurse can improve the contact between the skin and the ECG leads, allowing for better adhesion and signal transmission.

It is important to obtain the patient's permission before clipping the chest hair to respect their autonomy and ensure their comfort during the procedure. The nurse should explain the reason for clipping the hair and address any concerns or questions the patient may have.

Let's review the other options and explain why they are not the most appropriate interventions:

Using alcohol swabs to clean the skin before applying the leads: While cleaning the skin with alcohol swabs is a routine practice to remove oils and dirt that can affect adhesion, it may not be sufficient in the presence of abundant chest hair. Clipping the hair would be more effective in this situation.

Applying the leads to the arms and legs only: This option would not provide an accurate 12-lead ECG recording, as the chest leads are essential for evaluating the electrical activity of the heart from different angles. It is important to have the leads properly placed on the chest for an accurate assessment.

Rescheduling the ECG: Unless there are other valid reasons for rescheduling, such as a medical condition that contraindicates the procedure, rescheduling solely due to abundant chest hair would be unnecessary. Clipping the hair is a practical and effective solution to improve adhesion.

The traces that should require immediate follow-up by the nurse are:

● Pacer spikes occur directly before the T waves.

Pacer spikes occurring on the T waves indicate an issue with the pacemaker's timing or sensing. This could lead to inappropriate pacing or pacing during the refractory period, which can be detrimental to the client's heart function.

● The heart rate is outside of programmed parameters.

If the heart rate is outside of the programmed parameters set for the client's pacemaker, it may indicate a malfunction or failure of the device or a change in the client's cardiac status. It is important for the nurse to assess the client's condition and notify the healthcare provider for further evaluation and intervention.

Let's review the other options and explain why they do not require immediate follow-up:

Pacer spikes are adequate in number: This indicates that the pacemaker is delivering the appropriate number of electrical impulses as programmed. As long as the other parameters are normal, this finding does not require immediate follow-up.

Pacer spikes occur directly before the P waves: This is the desired and expected pattern for a pacemaker in normal sinus rhythm. It indicates proper timing and coordination between the pacemaker and the client's intrinsic electrical activity.

Pacer spikes occur directly before the QRS waves: This is also the desired and expected pattern for a pacemaker in clients with ventricular pacing. It indicates proper timing and coordination between the pacemaker and the client's intrinsic electrical activity.

The heart rate is within programmed parameters: If the heart rate falls within the programmed parameters set for the client's pacemaker, it indicates that the device is functioning appropriately in maintaining the desired heart rate.