The health care provider orders a Foley catheter for a patient involved in a serious car accident. The nurse notes that there is bleeding at the urethral meatus. What is the priori... The health care provider orders a Foley catheter for a patient involved in a serious car accident. The nurse notes that there is bleeding at the urethral meatus. What is the priority action?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the priority action for a nurse confronted with a specific medical situation involving a patient who has bleeding at the urethral meatus after a car accident. It requires understanding the correct response in a nursing context.
Answer
Notify the health care provider, because there may be a tear.
The priority action is to notify the health care provider because there may be a tear.
Answer for screen readers
The priority action is to notify the health care provider because there may be a tear.
More Information
Bleeding at the urethral meatus can indicate a serious injury like a urethral tear, especially after trauma. Inserting a catheter without further assessment could exacerbate the injury.
Tips
A common mistake is to attempt catheterization without considering potential complications of unidentified urethral injuries.
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