What are the three principles a nurse uses to protect themselves when caring for a client with a sealed radioactive implant?

When caring for a client with a sealed radioactive implant, the principles of time, distance, and shielding are critical for ensuring the safety of both the nurse and the patient.

Time refers to the amount of time a healthcare provider spends near the radioactive source. Minimizing this exposure time reduces the radiation dose received. The longer one is near a radioactive source, the higher the potential for radiation exposure.

Distance is equally important; increasing the distance from the radioactive source significantly decreases the amount of radiation one is exposed to, due to the inverse square law of radiation. This law states that radiation intensity decreases rapidly as distance from the source increases.

Shielding involves the use of protective barriers that absorb or deflect radiation. In cases of radioactive implants, nurses might use lead aprons or plaster walls as shielding to protect themselves from ionizing radiation.

In contrast, the other options do not address the fundamental radiation safety principles necessary for working with radioactive materials. Patience, precision, and monitoring, while important in general nursing practice, do not specifically relate to radiation safety. Similarly, the focus on medication, assessment, and documentation pertains more to clinical care rather than radiation protection strategies. Lastly, isolation, observation, and protection might be relevant in various other contexts of patient care