Final answer:
The first step in responding to a client with ventricular tachycardia is to assess the apical pulse and blood pressure to determine hemodynamic stability. Medication or defibrillation would follow depending on the patient's condition.
Step-by-step explanation:
The client exhibiting ventricular tachycardia should be addressed with immediate and appropriate medical intervention. When faced with this scenario, the first step a nurse should implement is to assess the client's apical pulse and blood pressure. This assessment provides critical information about the hemodynamic stability of the patient, which will guide subsequent interventions. If the client is stable, medication like lidocaine can be considered; however, if the patient is unstable or pulseless, the immediate next step would be to prepare for defibrillation. Defibrillation is a medical intervention that can reestablish a normal heart rhythm by delivering a controlled electric shock to the heart.
Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are commonly found in many public spaces and are designed for use by the general public to provide life-saving defibrillation in cases of sudden cardiac arrest due to arrhythmias like ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia.