A nurse is teaching clients on the need for calcium intake to prevent bone loss. What level of prevention does this represent?

Choice A reason: Assessment is the first step in the nursing process, involving data collection on the client’s fever, vital signs, and symptoms. Fever increases metabolic rate and oxygen demand, potentially causing dehydration or tachycardia. Initial assessment identifies underlying causes (e.g., infection) and guides interventions, ensuring timely treatment to stabilize the client’s physiological status.

Choice B reason: Discharge planning is premature at first contact, as it occurs after assessing and stabilizing the client. Fever may indicate infection, requiring immediate evaluation of vital signs and symptoms to determine etiology. Planning discharge without understanding the client’s condition risks neglecting critical interventions, as fever can escalate systemic inflammatory responses if untreated.

Choice C reason: Counseling addresses emotional or educational needs but is inappropriate at first contact with a high fever. Fever, often from infection, activates inflammatory cytokines, increasing body temperature and heart rate. Assessment of physiological status takes precedence to identify causes and initiate treatment, ensuring patient safety before addressing psychological or educational needs.

Choice D reason: No fourth option was provided, but any non-assessment action would be less urgent. Fever signals a physiological disturbance, like infection, increasing metabolic demand and risking complications like dehydration. Initial assessment of vital signs, history, and symptoms is critical to identify the cause and guide interventions, ensuring effective management of the client’s condition.

Choice A reason: Urinary status, such as output, monitors hydration and kidney function post-surgery but is unrelated to safe oral intake. Abdominal surgery risks paralytic ileus, where intestinal motility ceases, increasing aspiration risk if food is consumed. Bowel sounds indicate gastrointestinal function recovery, making urinary status a secondary consideration for dietary decisions.

Choice B reason: Skin turgor assesses hydration but does not determine readiness for oral intake post-surgery. Abdominal surgery can impair peristalsis, causing ileus, which risks vomiting or obstruction if food is introduced prematurely. Assessing bowel sounds confirms intestinal motility, critical for safe eating, while skin turgor is irrelevant to gastrointestinal recovery.

Choice C reason: Pain level is important for patient comfort but not the primary consideration for eating post-surgery. Pain may indicate complications, but absent bowel sounds suggest ileus, a condition where the gut lacks motility, risking aspiration. Bowel sounds confirm peristalsis, ensuring safe digestion, making pain a secondary factor in this context.

Choice D reason: Bowel sounds indicate gastrointestinal motility, critical after abdominal surgery to prevent complications like ileus. Absent sounds suggest impaired peristalsis, increasing risks of vomiting or obstruction if food is consumed. Auscultating active bowel sounds confirms the gut’s readiness to process food, making this the primary consideration before allowing eating to ensure safety.