The birth weight of an infant delivered by a woman with gestational diabetes is 10.1 pounds (4,581 grams). The infant is jitery and has a heel stick glucose level of 40 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L) 30 minutes after birth. Based on this information, which intervention should the practical nurse (PN) implement first?

Reference range:

Blood glucose neonate: [30 to 60 mg/dL or 1.7 to 3.3 mmol/L]

A) Correct - Demonstrating the technique used to monitor blood glucose levels is crucial.

Incorrect technique can lead to inaccurate readings, impacting insulin dosing decisions and blood sugar control.
B) Correct - Some asthma medications, like corticosteroids, can elevate blood glucose levels.

Evaluating the client's asthma medications is essential as they can contribute to fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
C) Incorrect- Asking the client if they want a different manufacturer's glucose monitoring device is not helpful, because it does not address the underlying causes of the poor glycemic control. The client may also perceive this as a lack of confidence in their ability to manage their diabetes or as a criticism of their choice of device. The nurse should focus on educating the client on how to use their current device correctly and consistently, rather than suggesting a change that may not be necessary or feasible.
D) Correct - Understanding the client's daily routine helps identify factors influencing blood glucose control, such as meal timing, activity level, and stress. This information aids in creating a personalized diabetes management plan.
E) Correct - Ensuring the client uses a new insulin needle for each administration is important for preventing infection and complications. Reusing needles can affect injection site health and insulin absorption.

Demonstrate how to administer medication via a feeding tube.The picture shows that the newly hired PN is about to make a serious error by adding the medication directly to the feeding bag, which can cause clogging, contamination, or inaccurate dosing of the medication. The PN should demonstrate how to administer medication via a feeding tube correctly, which involves stopping the feeding, flushing the tube with water, instilling the medication, flushing again, and resuming the feeding.

The other options are not correct because:

1. Confirming that the medication is only administered once daily is not relevant or helpful, as it does not address the error or teach the correct technique of administering medication via a feeding tube.Determining if the medication is compatible with the solution is not necessary or appropriate, as the medication should not be mixed with the solution in the first place, but given separately through the feeding tube.
2. Offering to assist in calculating the rate of flow for the mixture is not relevant or helpful, as there should be no mixture of medication and solution in the feeding bag, but separate administration of each through the feeding tube.