A nurse is caring for a client who is newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The nurse should recognize that the client needs a referral for diabetic education when the client does which of the following?

After the nurse administers a PRN pain medication to a client, the nurse can assign the assistive personnel (AP) to document the client's respiratory rate in 1 hour. This is within the scope of practice of an AP.

The other tasks are not appropriate for an AP to perform.

Monitoring the client for an allergic reactionand evaluating the client for therapeutic effects are both nursing assessments that should be performed by the nurse.

Checking the client's response to the medication is also a nursing assessment that should be performed by the nurse.

As individuals age, there is a natural decline in kidney function. This can result in a reduced ability to filter and excrete medications and their metabolites from the body. The decreased kidney function can lead to a longer half-life of medications, increased drug accumulation, and an increased risk of adverse drug reactions. It is important for the nurse to adjust medication dosages and frequencies based on the individual's renal function to prevent drug toxicity.

Increased liver function: Aging is associated with a gradual decline in liver function. While there may be some individual variations, in general, liver function decreases rather than increases with age. However, changes in liver function can affect the metabolism and elimination of medications. Some medications may require dosage adjustments based on liver function, but it is not a common physiological change in older adults.

Increased metabolism: Aging is generally associated with a decrease in metabolism rather than an increase. The metabolic rate tends to slow down with age, which can affect the pharmacokinetics of medications. Slower metabolism can result in medications taking longer to be metabolized and cleared from the body, potentially leading to prolonged drug effects.

Decreased pulmonary function: While it is true that lung function decreases with age, the impact on medication administration is not as significant compared to kidney function. Medications are usually administered through non-pulmonary routes (e.g., oral, intravenous, transdermal), and decreased pulmonary function primarily affects the absorption of inhaled medications. However, certain respiratory conditions or compromised lung function may influence medication choices or require adjusted dosing.