Question

a client is admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd). which action would the nurse take to prevent client fatigue?
provide small, frequent meals.
encourage pursed - lip breathing.
schedule nursing activities to allow for rest.
encourage bed rest until energy level improves.

Explanation:

• Provide small, frequent meals: Eating large meals can make clients with COPD more fatigued as digestion requires energy and may press on the diaphragm, making breathing more difficult. Small, frequent meals are easier to digest.
• Encourage pursed - lip breathing: This is mainly for improving breathing patterns (helps with air trapping and oxygenation) rather than directly preventing fatigue.
• Schedule nursing activities to allow for rest: This is a key nursing intervention. By spacing out care activities (e.g., bathing, medication administration, vital sign checks), the client has periods of rest in between, conserving energy.
• Encourage bed rest until energy level improves: While some rest is good, complete bed rest can lead to deconditioning (muscle weakness) over time. A balance of activity and rest is better.

Answer:

Schedule nursing activities to allow for rest.