A client with atrial fibrillation is scheduled for an elective cardioversion.

The nurse prepares for the procedure by inserting two intravenous (IV) catheters and connecting the monitoring lead wires to the client.
Which action is most crucial for the nurse to take before initiating the cardioversion?

A mother rushes into the emergency department carrying her toddler who has been exposed to some cleaning products.

The child has a chemical smell on their hands, face, and clothes.
After ensuring the airway is patent, which action should the nurse take first?

An older adult patient arrives at the clinic reporting decreased strength in knees and handgrips. What action should the nurse include in a functional assessment of this patient?

A client on the cardiac telemetry unit suddenly starts showing signs of ventricular fibrillation. The advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) team defibrillates the client, restoring a normal sinus rhythm. Later in the day, a family member Questions why the code was called, telling the nurse that the client has a living will.
How should the nurse respond?

The nurse is collecting a heel-stick blood specimen for a neonatal screen, which includes thyroxine (T4) and thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, prior to discharging a 2-day-old patient.
When the parents ask why these tests are being conducted, which explanation should the nurse provide?

A client with a history of gout comes to the clinic with an inflamed left knee. The client reports the knee is extremely painful to touch for the second time in 6 months. The healthcare provider prescribes colchicine and ibuprofen.
What instruction should the nurse include in the discharge teaching?

A 35-year-old woman, who works as a legal secretary, visits the outpatient clinic for an assessment of consistent pain in her hands.

She reports that the pain is identical in both hands and wrists but is worse upon waking. The pain and stiffness have persisted for the past 3 months.

She believes she has arthritis because her mother and grandmother both have arthritis.

Based on the data provided, determine the most likely condition the client is experiencing, two actions the nurse should take to address that condition, and two parameters the nurse should monitor to assess the client’s progress.

A client with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is receiving an IV infusion of 0.9% sodium chloride and insulin.
Two hours later, the client’s serum laboratory results show a decrease in the serum blood glucose from 580 to 430 mg/dL (32.2 to 23.86 mmol/L). What additional laboratory result is most important for the nurse to monitor?

The nurse is caring for a client with decompensated liver disease who is experiencing fever, chills, and abdominal tenderness.

Following a paracentesis, the nurse receives laboratory results of the ascitic fluid that show the polymorphonuclear leukocyte count is 425/mm (0.42 x 10/L). After notifying the healthcare provider, what action should the nurse take next?

A client with atrial fibrillation is scheduled for an elective cardioversion.

The nurse prepares for the procedure by inserting two intravenous (IV) catheters and connecting the monitoring lead wires to the client.
Which action is most crucial for the nurse to take before initiating the cardioversion?

A first-time pregnant woman at 36 weeks of gestation is admitted to the labor and delivery unit because her membranes ruptured 30 minutes ago.

The initial assessment indicates a 2 cm cervical dilation, 50% effacement, -2 station, vertex presentation, greenish- colored amniotic fluid, and contractions occurring every 3 to 5 minutes.

There is a decrease in fetal heart rate after the last four contraction peaks.

What should the nurse do first?