A public health nurse is developing guidelines for management of a botulism outbreak. Which of the following information should the nurse include?

A. Anesthesiologists: Anesthesiologists have full prescriptive authority as licensed physicians, allowing them to provide telephone medication orders. Their prescribing rights apply in various healthcare settings, following institutional policies and legal guidelines.

B. Physician assistants: Physician assistants have prescriptive authority under physician supervision and can give telephone medication orders where permitted. Their prescribing ability depends on state regulations and facility policies but generally includes routine and emergency prescriptions.

C. Facility pharmacists: Facility pharmacists dispense medications and provide guidance on drug therapy but do not have the legal authority to prescribe. While they collaborate with providers, they cannot issue telephone medication prescriptions.

D. Mental health technicians: Mental health technicians assist with patient care in psychiatric settings but lack the training and licensure required to prescribe medications. Their responsibilities focus on supportive tasks, and they cannot give telephone medication prescriptions.

E. Nurse practitioners: Nurse practitioners have independent or collaborative prescriptive authority depending on state regulations. They can provide telephone medication orders within their scope of practice, ensuring timely medication management for patients.

A. Identify the client's current health needs: Assessing the client’s history and physical condition allows the case manager to determine immediate health needs. This step ensures that care planning is based on the client’s specific symptoms, disease progression, and required interventions. Identifying health priorities first helps guide appropriate referrals and treatment decisions.

B. Call the provider with a list of client concerns: While communicating concerns to the provider is important, it should be done after identifying the client’s specific health needs. This approach ensures that discussions with the provider are focused and relevant. Without a clear assessment of needs, the information provided may be incomplete or unstructured.

C. Compile a list of community resources for the client: Community resources can support long-term COPD management, but they should be tailored to the client’s identified needs. The case manager must first assess what resources will be beneficial. Providing resources without understanding the client’s priorities may lead to ineffective or unnecessary recommendations.

D. Refer the client to a COPD support group: Support groups can provide valuable education and emotional support, but referrals should be based on the client’s preferences and readiness. Identifying health needs is the priority before making specific referrals. Ensuring that the client is open to and will benefit from a support group enhances the effectiveness of the referral.