Nursing Prioritization Delegation Assignment Q 42
Jenna is a nurse from the medical-surgical unit of a tertiary hospital. She was asked to float on the orthopedic in which she has no prior experience working on. Which client should be assigned to her?
A. A client with a cast for a fractured femur and who has numbness and discoloration of the toes.
B. A client with balanced skeletal traction and needs assistance with morning care.
C. A client who had an above-the-knee amputation yesterday and currently has a temperature of 101.4ºF.
D. A client who had a total hip replacement two days ago and needs blood glucose monitoring.
Correct Answer: D. A client who had a total hip replacement two days ago and needs blood glucose monitoring.
A nurse from the medical-surgical floor floated to the orthopedic unit should be given clients with a stable condition as those who have care similar to her training and experience. A client who is in a postoperative state is more likely to be in a stable condition.
Option A: The client may be experiencing compartment syndrome and would need the expertise of an orthopedic nurse. Acute compartment syndrome is a condition in which there is increased pressure within a closed osteofascial compartment, resulting in impaired local circulation. Without prompt treatment, acute compartment syndrome can lead to ischemia and eventually, necrosis.
Option B: The care of a patient with skeletal traction would need a nurse who had experience with handling the apparatus. It requires frequent reassessment of neurovascular function of the extremity after application of the traction.
Option C: A newly recovered postoperative patient should be monitored by an experienced ortho nurse. An above-knee amputation is associated with enormous morbidity; unlike a below-knee amputation, fitting a prosthesis for an above-knee stump is difficult.