A nurse in a clinic is caring for a client who is pregnant and asks how she should help her 4-year-old son prepare for the new baby. Which of the following statements should the nurse make?

A. Place the client in a supine position. As clients near the end of life, the supine position may compromise breathing. A semi-Fowler’s or lateral position is usually preferred to promote comfort and respiratory ease.
B. Remind the client to eat scheduled meals daily. At the end of life, appetite typically decreases, and forcing food can cause discomfort. Nutrition should be offered based on the client's desire, not forced on a strict schedule.
C. Offer the client a blanket to keep warm. Clients nearing death often experience peripheral circulation decline, leading to feelings of coldness. Providing a blanket promotes comfort and warmth without being invasive.
D. Speak in a loud tone when addressing the client. Loud speech can be disorienting and distressing, especially if the client is already weak or confused. Use a calm, clear, and gentle tone to provide comfort and maintain dignity.

A. Apply the largest cuff available. Using a cuff that is too large can result in falsely low readings. Cuff size should match the client’s arm circumference to ensure accuracy, but simply switching to the largest cuff does not resolve difficulty in auscultation.
B. Deflate the cuff quickly. Rapid deflation can cause the nurse to miss the systolic and diastolic sounds, making it harder to obtain an accurate reading. The cuff should be deflated at a steady rate of 2–3 mmHg per second.
C. Use the palpatory method to determine blood pressure. When sounds are difficult to auscultate, the palpatory method is a reliable alternative. This involves palpating the radial pulse while inflating the cuff to estimate systolic pressure, which helps guide a more accurate auscultatory attempt.
D. Place the arm above the level of the client's heart. Elevating the arm above heart level can lower the pressure artificially, resulting in an inaccurate measurement. For correct results, the arm should be supported at heart level.