The nurse recognizes that which of the following clients should be tho

The nurse recognizes that which of the following clients should be thoroughly assessed for their ability to be safely placed in the supine position?

1. An 18-year-old who suffered a fractured elbow playing football
2. A 20-year-old hospitalized with abdominal pain to rule out an appendicitis
3. A 74-year-old client who requires 3 L of continuous oxygen via nasal cannula
4. A 37-year-old reporting complaints of vaginal bleeding between menstrual peri-ods

ANSWER

ANS: 3
Clients who are experiencing any degree of respiratory distress will not find this position com-fortable and should not be placed in this position because it will make breathing even more dif-ficult. If the client becomes short of breath easily, raise the head of the bed. The other clients may not prefer this position, but there is no medical reason for avoiding it.