A 2-year-old child is admitted to the pediatric unit with fever, seizures, and vomiting. he's awake and alert. as the nurse is putting a gown on the child, the nurse notices petechiae across the child's chest, abdomen, and back. the nurse should:

Given the situation described in the question, the nurse should evaluate the child's neurologic status. This is because there are signs of meningitis (the priority when meningitis is suspected is to evaluate neurologic status). Standard precautions should be initiated while carrying out the test if there's the risk of contacting body fluids.