Maintaining an Airway
What would the nurse do first to ease breathing for a patient with mild dyspnea?
Help the patient into an upright sitting position.
During an admission interview, a patient who is required to stay in the supine position reports, "I can't breathe well while I'm lying down." What would the nurse do first to help this patient?
Instruct the patient to use two bed pillows when lying supine.
What would the nurse do routinely to monitor oxygenation in a patient receiving BiPAP?
Monitor the patient's pulse oximetry readings.
The nurse is caring for a patient who is recovering from a left partial lobectomy. Which action would be most helpful in reexpanding the affected lung?
Placing the patient in a right side-lying position
What is the purpose of splinting the abdomen with a small pillow during controlled coughing?
To maximize transdiaphragmatic pressure during the expiratory phase of the cough
