A nurse is caring for a client who has a complete spinal cord injury. Based on the nurse's understanding about the degree of this type of injury, what can the nurse expect will be the client's level of function?

Choice A Reason: This is incorrect because rotating nursing staff may not provide emotional support for the client who is rehabilitating from major burns. The client may benefit from having consistent and familiar staff who can establish rapport and trust with him. The nurse should assign staff who are experienced and comfortable with burn care and who can communicate effectively and empathetically with the client.

Choice B Reason: This is incorrect because keeping family members aware of his condition may not provide emotional support for the client who is rehabilitating from major burns. The client may have privacy or confidentiality concerns or may not want his family members to see him in his current state. The nurse should respect the client's wishes and preferences regarding family involvement and obtain his consent before sharing any information.

Choice C Reason: This is correct because talking with the client during wound care can provide emotional support for the client who is rehabilitating from major burns. Wound care can be painful and stressful for the client, so the nurse should use therapeutic communication skills to distract, reassure, and encourage him. The nurse should also explain the procedures and rationale for wound care and allow the client to express his feelings and concerns.

Choice D Reason: This is incorrect because assigning assistive personnel to keep his room neat and clean may not provide emotional support for the client who is rehabilitating from major burns. The client may appreciate a clean environment, but he may also need more direct and personal contact with the nurse. The nurse should spend time with the client and provide holistic care that addresses his physical, psychological, social, and spiritual needs.

Choice A reason: This is incorrect because it is necessary to remove contact lenses before administering medications. Contact lenses can absorb or interfere with the absorption of eye drops and cause irritation or infection. The nurse should instruct the client to remove contact lenses before applying eye drops and wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting them.
Choice B reason: This is incorrect because administering the medications by touching the tip of the dropper to the sclera of the eye can cause contamination or injury. The sclera is the white part of the eye that covers most of the eyeball. The nurse should instruct the client to avoid touching the tip of the dropper to any part of the eye or eyelid and hold it about 1 cm above the lower eyelid.
Choice C reason: This is correct because administering the medications 5 min apart can prevent dilution or washout of one medication by another. Timolol and pilocarpine are two different types of eye drops that are used to treat open-angle glaucoma, which is a condition that causes increased pressure inside the eye and damage to the optic nerve. Timolol is a beta-blocker that reduces the production of fluid in the eye, and pilocarpine is a cholinergic agent that increases the drainage of fluid from the eye. The nurse should instruct the client to apply one drop of each medication in the affected eye(s) and wait at least 5 minutes between each medication.
Choice D reason: This is incorrect because holding pressure on the conjunctival sac for 2 min following the application of eye drops can reduce systemic absorption and side effects of eye drops. The conjunctival sac is the space between the lower eyelid and the eyeball. The nurse should instruct the client to gently close their eyes after applying eye drops and press their index finger against the inner corner of their eye for 2 minutes. This can block the tear duct that drains fluid from the eye to the nose and prevent it from entering the bloodstream.