A nurse is planning to use research and scientific data to improve client care. Which of the following processes is the nurse planning to use?

Choice A reason: This statement does not indicate an understanding of acute care, but rather a misconception and a lack of responsibility. Acute care is a level of health care that provides immediate and short-term treatment for severe or life-threatening conditions, such as asthma attacks. Acute care requires the parents to stay with their child and participate in their care plan.

Choice B reason: This statement does not indicate an understanding of acute care, but rather a denial and a delay of treatment. Acute care is not provided at home, but at a specialized facility that has the equipment and staff to handle emergencies. Waiting for the nurse to come may worsen the child's condition and increase the risk of complications.

Choice C reason: This statement does not indicate an understanding of acute care, but rather an exaggeration and a misunderstanding of the duration of treatment. Acute care is not meant to last for a long time, but only until the condition is stabilized or resolved. The length of stay at an acute care facility depends on the severity of the condition and the response to treatment, but it is usually less than a month.

Choice D reason: This statement indicates an understanding of acute care, as it reflects the main goal and intervention of acute care for asthma. Acute care for asthma involves administering medications that can quickly relieve the symptoms and prevent further inflammation of the airways. Medications may include bronchodilators, corticosteroids, oxygen, and others.

Choice A reason: Providing competencies for the nurses to achieve before licensure is not a description of standards of practice, but rather a function of the nursing education and accreditation system. Standards of practice are authoritative statements that define the expected level of performance for nurses after they obtain their license.

Choice B reason: Establishing a protocol for care to provide for a specific health problem is not a description of standards of practice, but rather a function of the clinical practice guidelines and evidence based practice. Standards of practice are broader and more general statements that apply to all nurses regardless of their specialty or setting.

Choice C reason: Specifying that nurses provide care that reflects current and competent level of behavior when providing client care is a description of standards of practice, as it captures the essence of what standards of practice are and why they are important. Standards of practice are based on the best available evidence and professional consensus, and they guide nurses in delivering safe, quality, and ethical care to their clients.

Choice D reason: Listing a set of skills that all nurses should be competent in performing, outlining responsibilities that every nurse is expected to provide regardless of their role is not a description of standards of practice, but rather a function of the scope of practice. Scope of practice describes the services that a qualified health professional is deemed competent to perform, and permitted to undertake, in keeping with the terms of their professional license..