A nurse is caring for a group of clients who have substance use disorder. Which of the following strategies should the nurse suggest for maintaining long-term abstinence?

A. Refer the clients for financial assistance to receive medications: While financial support is important for accessing treatment, it is not the immediate priority during an active outbreak. The nurse must first assess the scope and potential cause of the diarrhea to prevent further spread and guide appropriate interventions.

B. Arrange for the clients to see a health care provider: Medical evaluation is essential, especially if symptoms worsen or complications arise. However, this step should follow a thorough assessment of exposure to identify patterns, potential sources, and the need for urgent containment or broader screening efforts.

C. Provide teaching about hand washing for the clients: Hand hygiene is critical in preventing the transmission of infectious diarrhea. However, client education should come after identifying the exposure route to ensure teaching is targeted and effective in addressing the specific mode of transmission.

D. Obtain an individual client exposure history: The nurse’s first priority should be to gather detailed information about each client's symptoms, recent meals, travel, and contacts. This assessment helps identify common exposures, guides immediate containment efforts, and directs appropriate medical or public health responses to control a potential outbreak.

A. Living in a long-term care facility increases the risk for tuberculosis due to close living quarters, which facilitate airborne transmission. Older adults in these facilities may also have weakened immune systems, further elevating their susceptibility to TB infection.

B. TB treatment typically lasts 6 to 12 months, depending on the case, not a lifetime. Lifelong medication is not required unless the individual has a chronic, drug-resistant form, which is uncommon. Adherence to the full treatment course is key to curing TB.

C. Tuberculosis is not spread through direct contact. It is an airborne disease transmitted when a person inhales droplets expelled when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks, particularly in enclosed or poorly ventilated environments.

D. A Mantoux skin test identifies TB exposure but does not confirm active disease. A positive result requires further evaluation with a chest x-ray and possibly sputum testing to diagnose active tuberculosis infection.