A nurse is caring for a client at risk for atelectasis. Which independent nursing measure should the nurse prioritize to prevent atelectasis development?

A. Develop a quality improvement program for nurses involved in medication administration errors. While quality improvement programs are essential, implementing a targeted program without first analyzing the root causes of errors may not effectively address the underlying issues. A broader review of system-wide factors contributing to medication errors is necessary before designing an intervention.
B. Require staff nurses to demonstrate competency by passing a medication administration examination. Competency assessments may help identify knowledge gaps, but they do not address system-based errors such as workload issues, unclear protocols, or distractions during medication administration. A root cause analysis should be conducted first to ensure that interventions target the actual sources of errors.
C. Provide an inservice on medication administration to all the nurses. Educational sessions can reinforce safe practices, but without identifying the specific factors contributing to errors, they may not be effective. Training should be tailored to address the findings from an initial review of the medication errors.
D. Review the events leading up to each medication administration error. The first step in continuous quality improvement is conducting a thorough analysis of the errors, identifying patterns, and determining root causes. This helps in designing targeted interventions, whether they involve process changes, additional training, or improved safety protocols.

A. Clubbing of the fingers: This finding is often associated with chronic respiratory conditions, including emphysema, due to prolonged hypoxia. The chronic low oxygen levels can lead to changes in the nail beds, resulting in clubbing as the body attempts to compensate for the decreased oxygenation. Therefore, clubbing is a common assessment finding in clients with emphysema.
B. Bradycardia: Emphysema typically does not cause bradycardia; instead, clients may experience tachycardia due to increased respiratory effort and oxygen demand. While individual variations can occur, bradycardia is not a standard finding in clients with emphysema, making this option less likely to be present.
C. Barrel chest: This is a common physical assessment finding in clients with emphysema. The chronic overinflation of the lungs leads to a characteristic increase in the anteroposterior diameter of the chest, resulting in a barrel-shaped appearance. This occurs as the diaphragm becomes flattened and the rib cage is expanded from prolonged air trapping.
D. Dyspnea: Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a hallmark symptom of emphysema. As the disease progresses, clients may experience increased difficulty in breathing, especially during exertion, due to the destruction of alveoli and reduced lung elasticity. This finding is expected and significant in the assessment of a client with emphysema.
E. Deep respirations: In emphysema, clients often exhibit shallow, rapid breathing patterns rather than deep respirations. The loss of elasticity in the lungs leads to difficulty in full lung expansion, which can result in a more shallow and increased respiratory rate. Therefore, deep respirations are not a typical finding in clients with emphysema.