Question

The nurse receives shift report about medical-surgical clients. Which client does the nurse see first?

1. A client who is scheduled to receive verapamil.
2. A client who is scheduled to receive the prescribed metered-dose inhaler.
3. A client's family threatening to sue the hospital if concerns are not addressed immediately.
4. A client who is verbally abusive to staff and becomes increasingly more agitated.

Answer 1

The nurse should first see the verbally abusive and increasingly agitated client due to the potential risk to patient and staff safety, requiring immediate attention to de-escalate the situation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of this question is prioritization and decision-making in a medical-surgical unit regarding which client the nurse should see first. The nurse should address the most unstable client and the situation that threatens somebody's safety or well-being. Among the options given:

• A client scheduled to receive verapamil is not urgent unless they are experiencing negative symptoms currently.
• A client scheduled to receive a prescribed metered-dose inhaler likely has a routine administration that can wait a few minutes.
• A client's family threatening to sue should be addressed, but it does not take priority over immediate patient safety concerns.
• The client who is verbally abusive and becoming increasingly agitated poses a risk to themselves and the staff, and must be attended to immediately to de-escalate the situation and ensure safety for all.

Therefore, the nurse should first see the verbally abusive and increasingly agitated client. This takes precedence because it involves an immediate threat to safety and requires de-escalation techniques which are a top priority in patient care.