An adult client was put in restraints after all other attempts to reduce aggression have failed. Which is required now that restraints have been instituted by the nurse?

Choice A reason: Advancing the catheter further risks perforation or malposition, potentially damaging peritoneal tissues or organs. Slow drainage is often due to positional obstruction or constipation, not catheter depth. This invasive action requires medical orders and imaging confirmation, making it inappropriate as a first step in addressing slow drainage.

Choice B reason: Infusing additional dialysate worsens abdominal distension and does not address slow drainage. It may increase intra-abdominal pressure, causing discomfort or complications like hernia. The issue is outflow obstruction, not insufficient dialysate, so adding more fluid is counterproductive and could exacerbate the client’s condition.

Choice C reason: Aspirating with a syringe is not standard practice and risks introducing infection or damaging the catheter. It does not address underlying causes like positional obstruction or fibrin clots. Medical evaluation or specialized interventions like heparin instillation are needed for persistent drainage issues, making this action inappropriate.

Choice D reason: Repositioning the client facilitates drainage by relieving positional obstructions, such as catheter kinking or omental wrapping, common in peritoneal dialysis. Changing positions (e.g., side-lying or sitting) promotes gravity-assisted flow, reducing abdominal girth and improving exchange efficiency. This non-invasive action is the safest and most effective initial step.

Choice A reason: Defensive coping involves mechanisms like denial to manage stress, not personal emotional connections to a patient. The nurse’s sadness reflects personal feelings, not a defense against anxiety. This term does not apply to the nurse’s emotional response to the patient’s condition or perceived helplessness.

Choice B reason: Countertransference occurs when a nurse projects personal feelings, like sadness, onto a patient due to similarities with personal experiences (e.g., grandparents). This emotional response can influence care if not managed, as it stems from the nurse’s unresolved feelings, making it the accurate description of the situation.

Choice C reason: Transference involves the patient projecting feelings onto the nurse, not the nurse’s emotions about the patient. The scenario describes the nurse’s feelings, not the patient’s, making transference inapplicable. The nurse’s sadness reflects personal emotional involvement, not a patient-driven dynamic.

Choice D reason: Catastrophic reaction refers to a patient’s exaggerated emotional response to stress, often in dementia, not the nurse’s feelings. The nurse’s sadness is a personal emotional reaction, not a patient behavior, making this term irrelevant to the described situation of the nurse’s emotional reflection.