A nurse is supervising a licensed practical nurse (PN) who is providing care to a client who is postoperative. Which of the following statements by the client requires the nurse to follow up with the PN?

A. An increase in the CMV rate:
Increasing the continuous mandatory volume (CMV) rate would provide more mandatory breaths, which may not address the patient's respiratory acidosis. It could potentially worsen the situation by causing respiratory alkalosis.

B. Change to SIMV (Synchronized Intermittent Mandatory Ventilation) MODE
The patient's arterial blood gas results indicate respiratory acidosis with an elevated PaCO2 (50 mmHg) and a low pH (7.30). The nurse would recommend changing to SIMV mode to allow for spontaneous breaths in addition to the set mandatory breaths. This change helps the patient to have more control over their respiratory efforts and may assist in lowering the PaCO2.

C. A decrease in the PaO2:
Decreasing the partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) is not an appropriate response, especially when the patient is already on mechanical ventilation and has a moderate PaO2 level. The primary concern is the elevated PaCO2 and respiratory acidosis.

D. A decrease in the CMV rate:

Decreasing the CMV rate would reduce the number of mandatory breaths, potentially allowing the patient to hypoventilate further and retain more carbon dioxide. This is not the appropriate intervention for a patient with respiratory acidosis.

A. Close the fire doors on the unit:
Closing fire doors is a safety measure to contain smoke and flames, but activating the fire alarm is the priority to ensure a swift and comprehensive response.

B. Use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire:
While using a fire extinguisher is an important action, it should come after activating the fire alarm. The fire alarm alerts everyone to the emergency, and then the appropriate personnel can use fire extinguishers as needed.

C. Move any clients in the immediate vicinity:

Priority action during a fire: The priority in any fire situation is to ensure the safety of individuals in the immediate area. The acronym RACE is commonly used in healthcare settings to outline the steps to take in the event of a fire:

• Rescue anyone in immediate danger.
• Alarm: Activate the fire alarm.
• Contain the fire by closing doors.
• Extinguish the fire if it is small and safe to do so, or Evacuate the area if necessary.

D. Activate the fire alarm
This is also important but comes after rescuing or moving clients in immediate danger.