A nurse is providing discharge teaching to the partner of a client who has a tracheostomy.

Which of the following information should the nurse include in the teaching

The correct answer is D. Remind the client to use the incentive spirometer.

Choice A rationale:

Observing the position of the suspended weight is beyond the scope of practice for assistive personnel (AP). This task requires assessment skills to ensure proper alignment and functioning of the traction system, which is the responsibility of the nurse.

Choice B rationale:

Checking the client’s pedal pulse on the right leg involves assessment and clinical judgment to evaluate perfusion and detect potential complications such as impaired circulation. This is not a task that can be delegated to AP.

Choice C rationale:

Asking the client to describe her pain requires assessment and interpretation of subjective data, which falls under the nurse's scope of practice. Pain assessment is a critical nursing function.

Choice D rationale:

Reminding the client to use the incentive spirometer is a non-assessment task that involves reinforcing previously taught instructions. This is appropriate to delegate to assistive personnel, as it does not require clinical judgment.

The nurse should recognize the client is experiencing preterm labor due to previous preterm birth.

Preterm labor is when regular contractions begin to open the cervix before 37 weeks of pregnancy. One of the risk factors for preterm labor is having a previous preterm delivery. The client’s history indicates that her last pregnancy resulted in a preterm spontaneous vaginal birth at 30 weeks gestation. The client’s current symptoms, such as lower back pain, pinkish vaginal discharge, uterine contractions and cervical dilation, also suggest that she is in preterm labor. Therefore, the nurse should recognize that the client is experiencing preterm labor due to previous preterm birth.

BMI, blood type and blood pressure are not causes of preterm labor in this case. BMI may be associated with preterm labor if it is too high or too low, but the client’s BMI is within the normal range for pregnancy. Blood type may cause Rh incompatibility if the mother is Rh negative and the baby is Rh positive, but the client’s blood type is Rh positive. Blood pressure may cause preeclampsia if it is too high, but the client’s blood pressure is normal. Abruptio placentae is a condition where the placenta separates from the uterine wall before delivery, which can cause vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain and fetal distress. The client does not have these signs.