A nurse is preparing to administer 2.5 mL of medication intramuscularly to an adult client.
Which of the following is the safest site for the nurse to use?

A. Insert an indwelling catheter if the client has not voided in 3 hr: This task is within the LPN’s scope of practice, including sterile procedures such as catheterization. The RN retains the responsibility to evaluate the client’s overall status but may direct the LPN to insert a catheter under specific conditions.
B. Obtain the abdominal girth now and every 4 hr: This is a non-sterile, routine measurement and would be more appropriately assigned to assistive personnel rather than an LPN.
C. Assess and document the level of consciousness every hour: Assessment of neurological status requires RN-level clinical judgment, particularly in clients at risk for hepatic encephalopathy.
D. Measure the amount of gastric drainage every 2 hr: Although within an LPN’s scope, this task is repetitive and routine and may be more appropriate for assistive personnel under supervision.

- Choice A: The recommended hepatitis vaccine series is not a series of four. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends a three-dose series for hepatitis B vaccination.
- Choice B: Hepatitis B is not typically transmitted by contaminated food. It is primarily spread through direct contact with infectious blood, semen, or other body fluids.
- Choice C: While there is some evidence suggesting a link between chronic hepatitis C infection and an increased risk of renal cell carcinoma, the statement is not universally accepted as fact and more research is needed to establish a definitive connection.
- Choice D: Individuals with a history of hepatitis B or C are generally ineligible to donate blood due to the risk of transmission of these bloodborne viruses.