A nurse is caring for a client who is HIV positive and is one day postoperative following an appendectomy. The nurse should wear a gown as personal protective equipment when taking which of the following actions?

The correct answer is D: Completing a dressing change. When performing a dressing change on a postoperative client who is HIV positive, the nurse should wear a gown as personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to the client's blood or body fluids. Dressing changes involve direct contact with the surgical site, which may have bleeding or exudate. Wearing a gown provides an additional barrier to protect the nurse from potential infection transmission.

Choices A, B, and C do not require wearing a gown specifically for protection against HIV transmission. Administering IV bolus medication, talking to the client, and administering an IM injection do not involve direct contact with bodily fluids or blood that would necessitate wearing a gown for personal protection.