A client recovering from hip surgery tells the nurse that she wants to

A client recovering from hip surgery tells the nurse that she wants to get better so she can walk down the aisle to her seat at her granddaughter’s wedding. Which of the following nursing in-terventions will have the greatest impact on achieving that goal

1. Informing physical therapists that the client has expressed that goal
2. Reminding the ancillary staff to offer to walk with the client after her bath
3. Regularly praising the client for the efforts she is making to reach her goal
4. Walking with the client to and from the dining room where she eats her meals

ANSWER

ANS: 4
Muscle tone helps maintain functional positions such as sitting or standing without excess muscle fatigue and is maintained through continual use of muscles. ADLs require muscle action and help maintain muscle tone. When a client is immobile or on prolonged bed rest, activity level, activity tolerance, and muscle tone decrease. The better the muscle tone, the more stamina the client will experience. Although all the interventions are appropriate, actually walking with the client will have the greatest impact on her ability to achieve the goal.