A nurse is assisting in the care of an older adult client who has COPD and is receiving albuterol treatments and 20 mg of prednisone twice daily. The client asks why the nurse is checking his blood glucose level.

Which of the following responses should the nurse make?

Adequate fluid intake helps to soften the stool, prevent constipation, and ease bowel movements. It can also help with bladder function and prevent urinary tract infections. This intervention is particularly relevant given the client's complaint of abdominal cramping and a small, hard, painful bowel movement.

The other options are not appropriate based on the information provided:

• "Encourage prolonged dangling before ambulation" is not necessary or relevant in this case. The client is already transferring out of bed to a chair independently and ambulating independently in the hallway, indicating sufficient mobility.
• "Irrigate indwelling catheter with 500 mL of fluid" is not indicated based on the provided information. The urinary catheter is intact, and the client is producing an appropriate amount of urine. There is no indication of urinary retention or need for irrigation.
• "Administer an enema" is not necessary at this point. The client has reported a small, hard, painful bowel movement, which indicates constipation. However, conservative measures such as encouraging oral fluid intake and possibly adding dietary fiber should be tried first before considering an enema.
• "Assist the client with a sitz bath" is not directly related to the client's current symptoms. A sitz bath is typically used for perineal hygiene, pain relief, or healing after certain surgical procedures, but it does not address the reported abdominal cramping or constipation.

Avoid quoting client comments when documenting: This is the correct action to take. When documenting client care, it is important to use objective language and avoid directly quoting client comments. Instead, the nurse should summarize or paraphrase the client's statements using professional and objective language.

Incorrect:

B- Limit documentation to subjective information: This is an incorrect action to take.

Documentation should include both subjective and objective information. Subjective information refers to the client's own experiences, perceptions, and feelings, while objective information refers to measurable and observable data.

C- Document giving a dose of pain medication just prior to administration: This is an incorrect action to take. Documentation should accurately reflect the timing and administration of medications. Documenting giving a dose of pain medication just prior to administration would be inaccurate and could lead to confusion and potential medication errors.

D- Document information telephoned in by a nurse who left the unit for the day: This is an incorrect action to take. Documentation should only include information that the nurse personally witnesses, assesses, or performs. Information provided by another nurse should be documented as a report or handoff communication rather than direct documentation.