While caring for a patient scheduled for knee replacement surgery, the nurse provides cefazolin(antibiotic) as ordered 30 minutes preoperatively. Which statement indicates that teaching has been effective?

A. Call the health-care provider to see if intravenous fluids are needed: This is not usually necessary unless the patient has a condition that requires it. It's more important to ensure NPO status is maintained.

B. Increase fluid intake prior to midnight to make sure the patient remains hydrated: This could be done, but it is less important than ensuring the patient follows the NPO instructions.

C. Remove the patient's water pitcher at the bedside shortly before midnight: This is the correct answer. Removing the pitcher helps prevent the patient from accidentally drinking water and violating NPO status.

D. This is an example of a STAT order and should be documented in the patient's chart: NPO orders are not STAT orders; they are routine orders related to the preparation for a procedure.

A. "Break the lozenge in half, making it easier to swallow."
Breaking the lozenge in half may reduce the effectiveness by altering how the medication is released and absorbed. Lozenge medications are designed to dissolve slowly.

B. "Take the lozenge with a glass of milk."
Milk could coat the mouth and throat, potentially reducing the absorption of the medication and decreasing its effectiveness.

C. "Swallow the medication with a drink of water."
Swallowing the lozenge whole would bypass the intended local effect in the mouth and throat, reducing the medication’s effectiveness in treating a sore throat.

D. "Suck on the lozenge until it dissolves." Sucking on the lozenge until it dissolves allows the medication to be released slowly and absorbed directly into the tissues of the mouth and throat, where it can have the most therapeutic effect.