Which of these actions illustrates the correct technique the nurse should use when assessing oral temperature with a glass thermometer?

A) Wait 30 minutes if the patient has ingested hot or iced liquids.
B) Leave the thermometer in place for 3 to 4 minutes if the patient is afebrile.
C) Shake the glass thermometer down to 37.5 C before taking the patient's temperature.
D) Place the thermometer in front of the tongue and ask the patient to close his or her lips.

The thermometer should be left in place 3 to 4 minutes if the person is afebrile and up to 8 minutes if the person is febrile. The nurse should wait 15 minutes if the person has just ingested hot or iced liquids and 2 minutes if he or she has just smoked. A glass thermometer should be shaken down to 35.5 C, not 37.5 C, before taking a patient's temperature. The thermometer should be placed at the base of the tongue, not the front. The correct answer is to leave the thermometer in place for 3 to 4 minutes if the person is afebrile and up to 8 minutes if the person is febrile.