A nurse is caring for a toddler who has respiratory syncytial virus. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

A. The client needs assistance with learning to eat with the opposite hand: This is an aspect of rehabilitation and occupational therapy, focusing on adaptive techniques for daily living. It is not within the social worker’s primary role, so this information should be directed to therapy services.

B. The client will require a wheelchair for use in the home: Equipment needs such as wheelchairs are usually coordinated through physical therapy or case management. While the social worker may assist with resources, the primary focus is on functional mobility, which is addressed by therapy services.

C. The client needs assistance with paying medical bills: Financial assistance, insurance navigation, and access to community resources are within the social worker’s scope of practice. Reporting this need ensures the client receives support for managing medical expenses and continuity of care at home.

D. The client will require a prescription for home therapy: Prescriptions for home health services fall under the provider’s and therapy team’s responsibilities. The social worker may support logistics, but the primary coordination of therapy prescriptions is not their role.

• Administer regular insulin: The client’s glucose increased from 120 mg/dL to 195 mg/dL, which is a common stress response in infection. Short-acting insulin may be anticipated to manage hyperglycemia during acute illness. Controlled glucose levels help reduce infection complications and support healing in clients with type 2 diabetes.

• Place client on 1,500 mL fluid restriction: The client shows signs of dehydration risk, including thirst, fever, and increased BUN at 25 mg/dL. With infection and fluid losses from fever, a restriction would worsen hydration status. The client is already receiving IV fluids to maintain volume and support perfusion, so limiting fluids would be harmful.

• Increase supplemental oxygen to ≥95%: The client’s oxygen saturation is 89% on 2 L/min, which is below target and indicates worsening oxygenation. Increasing oxygen flow is appropriate to improve gas exchange in pneumonia and COPD exacerbation. Maintaining higher saturations prevents respiratory fatigue and tissue hypoxia.

• Obtain sputum culture: The client has fever, productive cough with yellow sputum, and chest X-ray-confirmed pneumonia. A sputum culture helps identify the causative organism and guide antibiotic therapy. Culture results can optimize treatment effectiveness and prevent antibiotic resistance.