A nurse is caring for a child who has cystic fibrosis and requires postural drainage.

Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

Answer is B, C, D, E, F. These are the findings that suggest possible elder abuse or neglect.

• B: Client’s report of lack of food in home. This may indicate neglect by the adult child who is supposed to provide adequate nutrition for the client.
• C: Client’s report of lack of access to bank accounts. This may indicate financial abuse by the adult child who is controlling the client’s money without his permission.
• D: Client’s avoidance of eye contact. This may indicate emotional abuse by the adult child who is intimidating or threatening the client.
• E: Client’s report of weight loss. This may indicate neglect by the adult child who is not meeting the client’s basic needs or physical abuse by the adult child who is causing bodily harm to the client.
• F: Numerous bruises in various stages of healing. This may indicate physical abuse by the adult child who is hitting or injuring the client.

A: ECG results. This is not a finding that suggests elder abuse or neglect. It is a diagnostic test that measures the electrical activity of the heart and can help detect cardiac problems. It does not provide information about the client’s social or emotional well-being.

Normal ranges for vital signs:.

• Temperature: 36.1°C to 37.2°C (97°F to 99°F).
• Heart rate: 60 to 100 beats per minute.
• Blood pressure: less than 120/80 mm Hg.
• Respiratory rate: 12 to 20 breaths per minute.
• SpO2: 95% to 100% on room air. Table for BMI categories:

The client’s BMI is 18.3, which indicates he is underweight and may be malnourished or have a medical condition that causes weight loss.

The correct answer is choice D. The nurse should determine if the client’s health care surrogate is aware of the risks and benefits of the procedure. A health care surrogate is a person who is authorized to make health care decisions for a client who is unable to do so. The nurse has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that the client’s surrogate has given informed consent for the surgery, which means that they have received adequate information about the procedure, its purpose, its risks, its benefits, and its alternatives.

Choice A is wrong because sending the unsigned informed consent form to the facility’s risk manager does not ensure that the client’s surrogate has given informed consent. The risk manager is not involved in the consent process and cannot authorize the surgery without the surrogate’s consent.

Choice B is wrong because ensuring that the client’s family supports the provider’s decision for surgery is not the same as obtaining informed consent from the surrogate.

The family may have different opinions or preferences than the surrogate, and the surrogate may not agree with the provider’s decision. The nurse should respect the surrogate’s autonomy and authority to make decisions for the client.

Choice C is wrong because determining if the procedure is medically necessary for the client is not the nurse’s role.

The provider is responsible for determining the medical necessity of the surgery and explaining it to the surrogate. The nurse should not question or interfere with the provider’s judgment unless there is evidence of negligence or malpractice.