Question

The nurse is giving a bed bath to an assigned client when an assistive personnel (AP) enters the client's room and tells the nurse that another assigned client is in pain and needs pain medication. Which is the most appropriate nursing action?

1. Finish the bed bath and then administer the pain medication to the other client.

2. Ask the AP to find out when the last pain medication was given to the client.

3. Ask the AP to tell the client in pain that medication will be administered as soon as the bed bath is complete.

4. Cover the client, raise the side rails, tell the client that the nurse will return shortly, and administer the pain medication to the other client.

Answer 1

Answer:

A bed bath is usually performed to patients who cannot get out from bed. Bed bath helps cleans the skin and prevents certain infections. Generally, two methods are used in bed bath. First method is bath the entire body of the patient or client. Another method is bath or just help the patient/client to wash certain body areas. The selection of bed bath method will depends according to disease and physical condition of patient / client.

Here the nurse is doing a bed bath to an assigned client. At the same time an assistive personnel informs that another assigned client needs pain medication. Here, most appropriate nursing action is to complete the bed bath first and attend the client who needs pain medication. This is because, a bed bath patient / client cannot get out of bed. Also bed bath patient should be keep warm at all times. Bed bath provides cleans the skin and prevents infections. So long time exposure to bed bath may cause discomfort and damages to patient health. So,first nursing action is to complete the bed bath and ensure all safety aspects to patient.

Hence, option (3) "Ask the AP to tell the client in pain that medication will be administered as soon as the bed bath is complete" is the most appropriate nusing action.