A clinical nurse specialist coaches a group of student nurses on a twenty-year-old patient who is about to receive three doses of potassium chloride 8 mEq in 100cc normal saline to infuse over thirty minutes each. She stresses that one of the following assessments should be given priority before administering the medication:

Question

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She stresses that an assessment that should be given priority before administering the medication is urine output. Potassium chloride should only be administered after adequate urine output (>20cc/hour for 2 consecutive hours) has been established. Impaired ability to excrete potassium via the kidneys can result in hyperkalemia.

A Clinical Nurse Specialist Coaches a Group of Student Nurses