A nurse is caring for a client on a cardiac step-down unit w…

A nurse is caring for a client on a cardiac step-down unit who is recovering from a myocardial infarction (MI) and is getting ready to be discharged. The nurse is reviewing the health care provider’s discharge instructions with the client when the client asks why aspirin is ordered every day and at such a low dose. The most accurate response by the nurse is that the purpose of the daily aspirin is to: