A nurse is administering an otic medication to an older adult patient.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take to ensure the medication reaches the inner ear?

Choice A rationale

When a patient is placed on isolation precautions, the nurse should wear an N95 mask when caring for the patient. This is to protect the nurse from airborne particles that may be present in the patient’s environment.

Choice B rationale

Another important action the nurse should take is to place a container for soiled linens inside the patient’s room. This is to prevent the spread of infection from the patient’s room to other areas of the healthcare facility.

Choice C rationale

Wearing a sterile, water-resistant gown if within 3 feet of the patient is not necessary unless the patient has a condition that requires contact precautions, such as MRSA or VRE. In general, isolation precautions do not require the use of a sterile gown unless performing a sterile procedure.

Choice D rationale

Ensuring the patient’s room is well-ventilated is important for certain types of isolation precautions, such as airborne precautions for tuberculosis. However, it is not a standard action for all isolation precautions.

Step 1 is: Calculate the total units of heparin in the bag, which is 25,000 units.

Step 2 is: Divide the total units by the total volume to find the units per mL, which is (25,000 units ÷ 250 mL) = 100 units/mL.

Step 3 is: Divide the desired units per hour by the units per mL to find the mL/hr, which is (800 units/hr ÷ 100 units/mL) = 8 mL/hr. So, the infusion pump rate should be set at 8 mL/hr.