Final answer:
The nurse should administer prescribed antibiotics, provide supportive care, monitor vital signs, facilitate breathing with proper positioning, monitor oxygen saturation, send necessary specimens for evaluation, and document the patient's respiratory status and response to treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a nurse learns in the change of shift report that there is consolidation in the left lower lung of a newly admitted client, as indicated by an x-ray report, it suggests the presence of a substance, usually pus, blood, or protein, which fills the small airways. The findings on the radiograph are characteristics of pneumonia, where the air spaces in the lungs are replaced by inflammatory material. In this situation, the nurse should follow the care plan designed to manage pneumonia, which could include interventions such as administering prescribed antibiotics, providing supportive care, monitoring the patient's vital signs, ensuring the patient has a proper position to facilitate breathing, and monitoring oxygen saturation. It is also important to collect and send any necessary specimens for microbiological evaluation and to observe and document the patient's respiratory status and response to treatment closely.