A nurse is caring for a client who is recovering from a thoracic spinal cord injury. The nurse should identify that the client is at risk for which of the following conditions?

A. Notify the primary care provider of the results: Notifying the provider is important for persistent hypoxemia, but the nurse should first ensure the reading is accurate. Immediate action should confirm whether the low saturation reflects true hypoxemia or a measurement error.

B. Document the finding in the medical record: Documentation is part of standard care, but it does not address the potential acute hypoxemia. Recording should occur after verifying the reading and initiating appropriate interventions if needed.

C. Repeat the test on another finger: Pulse oximeter readings can be affected by poor perfusion, nail polish, cold extremities, or device malfunction. Repeating the test on a different finger or site helps confirm the accuracy of the measurement before taking further clinical actions.

D. Consult the respiratory therapist: Referral to a respiratory therapist may be indicated if hypoxemia persists, but it is not the first action. The nurse must first verify the accuracy of the SpO2 reading to determine whether urgent intervention is necessary.

A. The adolescent brother criticizes the parents' plan to have a funeral service: Adolescents often struggle with complex emotions such as anger, denial, and a desire for control when facing a sibling’s terminal illness. Criticizing parental decisions reflects attempts to assert independence and process grief in a way that aligns with their developmental stage.

B. The school-age sister views death as being a type of temporary sleep: Viewing death as temporary sleep is more typical of preschool-aged children, who think concretely and cannot yet understand the permanence of death. School-age children begin to understand that death is irreversible and final.

C. The adolescent brother fears the terminal illness is contagious: Fear of contagion is more characteristic of younger children, who may have difficulty distinguishing biological facts from magical thinking. Adolescents usually have a more realistic understanding of disease transmission.

D. The school-age sister is concerned about the impact of her sibling's death on herself: While school-age children do experience grief, their understanding of death is concrete, and self-focused concerns are less common than for adolescents. They are more likely to express concern about changes in routines or the well-being of surviving family members rather than abstract personal impact.