Nokea
After birth, the nurse immediately dries a neonate's face and hair with a clean, prewarmed towel. After drying, the nurse covers the neonate's hair with a cap. What type of heat loss is the nurse preventing?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: evaporation. After birth, drying the neonate's face and hair with a towel and covering the hair with a cap prevents heat loss through evaporation. Evaporation occurs when moisture on the skin evaporates into the air, leading to cooling of the body. By drying the neonate's hair and covering it with a cap, the nurse reduces the potential for heat loss through evaporation, helping to maintain the neonate's body temperature.
Incorrect choices:
A: Convection - Heat transfer through the movement of air or liquid. Drying and covering the hair do not directly impact convection heat loss.
B: Conduction - Heat transfer through direct contact with a cooler surface. Drying and covering the hair with a cap do not address conduction heat loss.
D: Radiation - Heat transfer through electromagnetic waves. Drying and covering the hair do not specifically target radiation heat loss.