Question

A nurse is receiving evening shift report on four clients who returned from the PACU that morning. Which of the following clients should the nurse assess first?

a) The client who had a knee arthroscopy and is complaining of mild incisional pain.

b) The client who had a tonsillectomy and reports a sore throat.

c) The client who had abdominal surgery and has a dressing with minimal serosanguinous drainage.

d) The client who had a hip replacement and has decreased sensation in the lower extremity.

Answer 1

The nurse should assess the client who had a hip replacement and has decreased sensation in the lower extremity first.

Step-by-step explanation:

When prioritizing assessments, the nurse should consider the client who has the most urgent or life-threatening condition. In this case, the client who had a hip replacement and has decreased sensation in the lower extremity should be assessed first.

Decreased sensation in the lower extremity could indicate a potential complication such as nerve damage or impaired blood flow, which requires immediate attention.

The other clients' complaints, such as mild incisional pain, a sore throat, and minimal serosanguinous drainage, are important but do not pose an immediate threat to the client's well-being.