A nurse is caring for a client who has chosen a neighbor as their designee in their durable power of attorney for health care. The client is incapacitated and is scheduled for an endoscopy. The nurse should request that which of the following individuals provide consent for the procedure?

Choice A rationale:

Request additional information about the caller's relationship to the client. Rationale: While understanding the caller's relationship to the client is important for confirming the legitimacy of the request, it doesn't address the core concern of maintaining client confidentiality. Sharing information with individuals solely based on their relationship can still lead to breaches in privacy.

Choice B rationale:

Provide a general update about the client's condition over the telephone. Rationale: Providing a general update over the telephone is not a secure method of maintaining client confidentiality. General updates can inadvertently disclose sensitive information and should only be communicated through secure and private channels.

Choice C rationale:

Refer the family member to the client's provider for the update. Rationale: This choice is the correct answer as it ensures that the family member receives accurate and appropriate information from the authorized source, which is the client's healthcare provider. This approach maintains the confidentiality of the client's medical information and adheres to privacy regulations.

Choice D rationale:

Encourage the family member to contact the client directly for information. Rationale: Encouraging direct contact between the family member and the client for information sharing can potentially compromise the client's privacy. The client might not want their condition disclosed to certain individuals, and it's the responsibility of the healthcare provider to ensure that sensitive information is shared appropriately and securely.

Choice A rationale:

Performing oral care once each day is not sufficient to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Ventilated patients are at an increased risk of developing VAP due to the presence of an endotracheal tube that bypasses the body's natural defenses. Bacteria can accumulate in the mouth and respiratory tract, leading to pneumonia. Therefore, performing oral care only once a day is inadequate for maintaining oral hygiene and preventing VAP.

Choice B rationale:

Brushing the client's teeth with a firm-bristle toothbrush can cause trauma to the oral tissues, potentially leading to bleeding and irritation. In critically ill patients with an endotracheal tube, using a firm-bristle toothbrush can exacerbate the risk of infection and VAP. It is essential to use gentle and non-traumatic methods for oral care to maintain the integrity of the oral mucosa.

Choice C rationale:

Swabbing the client's mouth with chlorhexidine solution is the correct choice. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic solution that effectively reduces the growth of bacteria in the oral cavity. Regular use of chlorhexidine mouthwash has been shown to decrease the risk of VAP in mechanically ventilated patients. By reducing the bacterial load in the mouth, the risk of aspiration and subsequent pneumonia is lowered, making it a crucial intervention for preventing VAP.

Choice D rationale:

Raising the head of the bed by 15° for oral care is an important measure to prevent aspiration during oral care. However, it alone is not sufficient to reduce the risk of VAP. While proper head positioning helps prevent the entry of oral secretions into the lower respiratory tract, it must be combined with effective oral hygiene practices, such as using chlorhexidine solution, to comprehensively reduce the risk of VAP.