A breastfeeding client has mastitis and asks whether to stop feeding from the affected breast. Which response by the nurse is best?
1Apply a tight breast binder and avoid expressing milk from the affected side.
2Stop breastfeeding from the affected breast and nurse from the unaffected side.
3Discard milk expressed from the infected breast during antibiotic treatment.
4Continue breastfeeding or pumping while following the treatment plan.✓ Correct answer
Explanation
With most mastitis treatment plans, continued breastfeeding or pumping helps empty the breast and supports recovery. Abruptly stopping can worsen milk stasis. A tight binder and long-term milk disposal are not appropriate general teaching.
Clinical Judgment Use the client cues, timing, labs, and safety risks to select the response that best fits Mastitis breastfeeding teaching.
Memory Tip Match the strongest cue cluster to the safest nursing judgment.
KR vs US NCLEX items reward cue-based priority thinking rather than isolated recall.
Clinical Practice GuideFor Mastitis breastfeeding teaching, compare the complete cue pattern with the client's current stability, ordered data, and expected nursing scope.
CautionDo not choose an action from one isolated cue when the full scenario changes priority or safety.
Mastitis — Inflammation or infection of breast tissue during lactation.
Milk Stasis — Poor milk drainage that can worsen breast inflammation.
Breast Emptying — Breastfeeding or pumping to maintain milk flow.