A nurse is caring for a group of patients on an adult medical-surgical unit.
Which patient should the nurse identify as having the highest risk for aspiration?

Choice A rationale:

Irrigating the tubing with sterile normal saline solution is not a routine part of closed-wound drainage system care.

It's usually only done if there's evidence of a blockage or infection, and only under the direction of a healthcare provider. Unnecessary irrigation could introduce bacteria into the system and increase the risk of infection.

It could also disrupt the delicate balance of fluids in the wound and delay healing.

Choice B rationale:

Replacing the drainage plug after releasing hand pressure on the device is not correct. The drainage plug should actually be replaced before releasing hand pressure.

This is to prevent air from entering the system, which could disrupt the vacuum and impair drainage.

Choice D rationale:

Emptying the reservoir once per day is not frequent enough.

The reservoir should be emptied whenever it becomes full, which could be more often than once a day, depending on the amount of drainage.

Allowing the reservoir to become too full could put pressure on the wound and impede healing.

Choice C rationale:

Fully re-collapsing the reservoir after emptying it is essential to maintain the vacuum that promotes drainage. If the reservoir is not fully re-collapsed, the vacuum will be lost, and drainage will slow or stop.

This could lead to fluid accumulation in the wound, which could increase the risk of infection and delay healing.

Choice A rationale:

Confidentiality: Patient information stored within the facility's computer system is highly confidential and protected by various laws and regulations, such as HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). Sharing a password with anyone, even trusted colleagues, could potentially compromise patient privacy and lead to unauthorized access or breaches of sensitive data. Nurses are ethically and legally obligated to safeguard patient confidentiality and uphold the highest standards of privacy protection.

Accountability: Each nurse is held individually accountable for any actions taken under their unique login credentials. Sharing a password blurs the lines of responsibility and makes it difficult to trace actions back to the specific individual who performed them. This can create accountability issues and impede investigations in cases of errors, misconduct, or security breaches.

Security Best Practices: Password sharing is universally discouraged by cybersecurity experts as it significantly weakens system security. Strong passwords, kept confidential and changed regularly, are essential for protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access, malware, and potential cyberattacks.

Facility Policies: Most healthcare facilities have strict policies prohibiting password sharing to maintain compliance with regulations and safeguard patient privacy. Violating these policies could lead to disciplinary action, including termination of employment.

Choice B rationale:

While a nurse manager may have a legitimate need to access patient information in certain situations, sharing a password is not the appropriate method for granting such access. Facilities typically have designated procedures for authorized individuals to obtain temporary or secondary login credentials, ensuring accountability and adherence to security protocols.

Choice C rationale:

Unit clerks, while often responsible for administrative tasks within a unit, do not have a clinical role that necessitates access to patient information through the nurse's password. Sharing a password with a unit clerk could lead to unauthorized access and potential privacy violations.

Choice D rationale:

The facility's information system representative is responsible for maintaining the technical infrastructure of the computer system, but they do not require access to patient information through individual nurse passwords. They have their own authorized means of accessing the system for troubleshooting and maintenance purposes.