A nurse is wearing sterile gloves in preparation for assisting with a client’s sterile procedure.
While waiting for the procedure to begin, how should the nurse position her hands?

The correct answer is choice A. Evaluate the client’s concerns and communicate them to the provider.

This is because the nurse’s role as a patient advocate is to speak, act or behave in a way that benefits their patient, who may not be able to support or promote their own needs or interests.

The nurse should provide patients with information regarding their diagnoses, prognoses, treatments, and alternatives, and serve as a patient’s voice when necessary.

Choice B is wrong because contacting the unit’s social worker to report the client’s refusal is not an appropriate action for the nurse to take as a patient advocate.

The nurse should respect the patient’s autonomy and right to refuse treatment, and not involve other professionals without the patient’s consent.

Choice C is wrong because asking the client’s partner to find out why the client has refused the procedure is not an appropriate action for the nurse to take as a patient advocate.

The nurse should communicate directly with the patient and not rely on third parties to obtain information or influence the patient’s decision.

Choice D is wrong because explaining the necessity of the procedure to the client is not an appropriate action for the nurse to take as a patient advocate.

The nurse should not impose their own values or opinions on the patient, but rather provide unbiased and factual information and support the patient’s informed choice.

The correct answer is choice A. Use a communication board to interact with the client.

A communication board is a tool that allows the client to point to words, pictures, or symbols that express their needs, feelings, or pain level.

This is an effective way to communicate with a client who speaks a different language than the nurse and is unable to verbalize their pain.

Choice B is wrong because an assistive personnel who speaks the same language as the client is not a qualified interpreter and may not be able to convey the client’s pain accurately or maintain confidentiality.

Choice C is wrong because the FLACC scale is a measurement used to assess pain for children between the ages of 2 months and 7 years or individuals that are unable to communicate their pain.

It is not appropriate for a client who is 6 hours postoperative and can communicate their pain using a communication board.

Choice D is wrong because the FACES pain scale is a self-report measure of pain intensity developed for children.

It uses facial expressions to rate the severity of pain in children from 0-103.

It is not suitable for a client who speaks a different language than the nurse and may not understand the meaning of the faces.