By providing measures to reduce skin breakdown, how does the nurse break the chain of infection?

Choice A reason: Determine whether it is temporary or permanent is not the nurse's priority action for a client with compromised immunity, because it is not the most urgent and relevant. Determining whether the compromised immunity is temporary or permanent is an important assessment, but it should be done after ensuring the safety and infection prevention of the client. Compromised immunity can be temporary or permanent, depending on the cause, such as medication, disease, or genetic disorder.

Choice B reason: Take the client's vital signs every four hours is not the nurse's priority action for a client with compromised immunity, because it is not the most urgent and relevant. Taking the client's vital signs every four hours is an important monitoring, but it should be done after ensuring the safety and infection prevention of the client. Vital signs can indicate the general health status and the presence of infection or inflammation, such as fever, tachycardia, or hypotension.

Choice C reason: Teach the family members to receive the flu shot annually is not the nurse's priority action for a client with compromised immunity, because it is not the most urgent and relevant. Teaching the family members to receive the flu shot annually is an important education, but it should be done after ensuring the safety and infection prevention of the client. The flu shot is a vaccine that can protect the family members and the client from influenza, which can be a serious and potentially fatal infection for people with compromised immunity.

Choice D reason: Wash hands before entering the client's room is the nurse's priority action for a client with compromised immunity, because it is the most urgent and relevant. Washing hands before entering the client's room is a basic and essential infection prevention measure, which can protect the client from exposure to pathogens that can cause infection. People with compromised immunity have a weakened or impaired immune system, which makes them more susceptible and vulnerable to infection.

Choice A reason: An event that can cause serious injury to a client that should never happen in a hospital is not the best description of a sentinel event, because it is too vague and broad. It does not specify the degree of injury or the nature of the event. It also implies that some events that cause serious injury are acceptable in a hospital, which is not true.

Choice B reason: Specific events that enable a hospital to maximize reimbursement is not a description of a sentinel event, but rather a description of quality indicators or performance measures. These are criteria that reflect the quality of care provided by a hospital and affect its payment from payers. They are not related to sentinel events, which are adverse events that require immediate investigation and response.

Choice C reason: An unexpected event involving death or serious physical or psychological injury is the best description of a sentinel event, because it captures the essence and severity of the event. According to the Joint Commission, a sentinel event is "an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological injury, or the risk thereof" . Examples of sentinel events include wrongsite surgery, medication error, suicide, or abduction.

Choice D reason: Operating room event involving the use of unsafe equipment is not a description of a sentinel event, but rather an example of a potential sentinel event. It is not a general definition that applies to all sentinel events, but a specific scenario that may or may not result in death or serious injury. It also does not indicate the unexpectedness of the event, which is a key characteristic of a sentinel event.