The nurse is calculating the one-minute Apgar score for a newborn infant and determines that the heart rate is 150 beats/minute, a vigorous cry is present, muscle tone is good with total flexion, quick reflex irritability noted, and skin color is dusky and cyanotic.

Which Apgar score should the nurse assign to this infant?

(Enter numeric value only.)

A. Request social services to make a home visit. This is important but not the immediate priority. It can be part of the long-term intervention plan once the immediate safety and health of the client are ensured.

B. Interview the client privately without the adult child present. This is the highest priority. It allows the nurse to assess for potential abuse or neglect without the influence or intimidation of the accompanying adult, ensuring the client can speak freely.

C. Complete a neurological and musculoskeletal assessment. This is important to assess the extent of the injuries and the client's overall physical health, but it follows the immediate need to ensure the client's safety and ability to speak freely about their situation.

D. Ask the client if an assisted living facility is an option for safety concerns. While exploring living arrangements is important for long-term safety, it is not the highest priority. Ensuring the client's immediate safety and obtaining accurate information about their situation takes precedence.

A. Teach the client to rotate the meal plate to visualize all the food on the plate: While this intervention may be helpful for other reasons, it does not directly address the client’s difficulty walking in a straight line.

B. Instruct the client to lift the left extremities with the right hand when transferring: This intervention helps with weight-bearing and balance during transfers. It compensates for the left hemiplegia and promotes stability.

C. Implement precautions when the client is judging distances during transfers: This is crucial. Clients with hemiplegia may have impaired spatial awareness and difficulty judging distances. Strategies like using a gait belt, providing cues, or ensuring a clear path can help prevent falls. Implementing precautions during transfers helps prevent falls.

D. Encourage the client to touch, wash, look at, and dress the affected side first: While this approach promotes independence, it does not directly address the client’s gait instability.