The nurse working on a high-acuity medical-surgical unit is prioritizing care for four patients who were just admitted. Which patient should the nurse assess first?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The NPO patient with hypoglycemia who just received 70/30 Novolin insulin takes priority, because this patient needs to consume a good source of glucose immediately or perhaps the NPO status will be discontinued for this shift. The digoxin may be withheld for the patient with a pulse of 58 beats/min, but this is not a priority action. The patient with a headache needs to be followed up, but because the blood pressure is 136/92 mm Hg, the headache is probably not caused by hypertension. The patient with an allergy to penicillin will not have a reaction to the vancomycin.

The Nurse Working on a High-Acuity Medical-Surgical Unit Is Prioritizing