A nurse is preparing an in-service presentation about preventing health care associated infections (HAIs).
The nurse should include which of the following as a common cause of these infections?

This aligns with the professional code of ethics for nurses, which states that nurses should respect the dignity, worth and rights of all human beings, regardless of the nature of their health problems or their social or legal status. The nurse should not let personal feelings or biases interfere with the quality of care or the ethical obligations of the profession.

Choice A is wrong because the nurse refuses to care of the client. This violates the principle of beneficence, which means doing good and preventing harm to others.

The nurse has a duty to provide care to all patients who need it, regardless of their personal opinions or feelings.

Choice B is wrong because the nurse delegates all care of the client to an assistant. This violates the principle of accountability, which means being answerable for one’s actions and decisions. The nurse cannot delegate tasks that require nursing judgment or assessment to an unlicensed person.

The nurse is responsible for ensuring that the patient receives safe and competent care.

Choice C is wrong because the nurse provides minimal care to keep the client alive. This violates the principle of non-maleficence, which means avoiding harm or injury to others.

The nurse should not provide substandard care or neglect the patient’s needs or preferences.

The nurse should strive to promote the health and well-being of the patient.

This nursing diagnosis is typically not associated with anemia because anemia does not cause dehydration or loss of body fluids. Anemia is a condition in which the hemoglobin concentration or the number of red blood cells is lower than normal, resulting in decreased oxygen delivery to the tissues.

Choice A. Ineffective tissue perfusion is wrong because anemia can impair tissue perfusion by reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.

Choice B. Activity intolerance is wrong because anemia can cause fatigue, weakness, and dyspnea on exertion due to inadequate oxygen supply to the muscles.

Choice D. Risk for decreased cardiac output is wrong because anemia can increase the risk of cardiac complications such as tachycardia, palpitations, angina, and heart failure due to increased cardiac workload and demand for oxygen.

Normal ranges for hemoglobin are 13.5 to 17.5 g/dL for men and 12 to 15.5 g/dL for women; normal ranges for hematocrit are 38.8 to 50% for men and 34.9 to 44.5% for women; normal ranges for red blood cell count are 4.7 to 6.1 million/mm3 for men and 4.2 to 5.4 million/mm3 for women; normal ranges for reticulocyte count are 0.5 to 1.5% of red blood cells.