Final answer:
The nurse's priority action in a case where a client has a heart rate of 30 beats/min and a pacemaker is to assess the blood pressure to determine the client's hemodynamic status. This step is crucial in identifying the need for immediate intervention.
Step-by-step explanation:
The nurse's priority action should be to assess the blood pressure of a client with a heart rate of 30 beats/min who has a pacemaker implanted. This provides immediate information on the client's hemodynamic stability and whether the low heart rate is significantly impacting the client's blood circulation and organ perfusion. A pacemaker should normally ensure an adequate heart rate and rhythm, but in this case, it might not be functioning properly.
A pacemaker is a medical device that provides electrical signals to the heart to ensure it contracts and pumps blood effectively, adjusting the heart rate as needed in response to body motion and breathing. When encountering a patient with a low heart rate and a pacemaker, the initial concern is whether the heart is pumping enough blood to meet the body's needs. Therefore, it is vital to assess blood pressure to determine the immediate need for intervention while further assessments and diagnostics can follow based on blood pressure findings and clinical signs.
Other options, such as administering atropine, reviewing the medical record for pacemaker placement, and assessing capillary refill, although important, are secondary to confirming stable vital signs when encountering a potentially life-threatening situation like bradycardia with evidence of pacemaker implantation.