A charge nurse is working with an assistive personnel (AP) who provides excellent care to clients and is an effective team member. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first to recognize the AP's contributions to client care?

Rationale:

A. Encouraging clients to receive an annual flu immunization is a cost-effective measure to prevent illness and reduce overall healthcare costs.

B. Waiting to empty a drainable colostomy until it is three-fourths full might not be the best practice for client comfort or prevention of leakage.

C. Recommending sterile technique for home care is important for infection prevention but not necessarily a cost-reduction strategy in the healthcare setting.

D. Delegating closed irrigation to AP may not be appropriate if it involves tasks beyond their scope of practice and does not directly relate to cost reduction.

Rationale:

A. Reassuring the partner is important for emotional support but does not directly impact the immediate safety of clients.

B. Reinforcing a dressing is important for wound care but does not address urgent concerns.

C. Taking a telephone prescription is necessary but not as immediate as addressing a potential complication.

D. Assessing a client with unilateral calf pain is the priority as it may indicate a serious condition such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which requires immediate evaluation and intervention.