An elderly male patient, who has been experiencing abdominal pain, is admitted to the hospital from a long-term care facility.

He hasn’t had a bowel movement in 7 days, his abdomen is distended, and he recently vomited 150 mL of dark brown emesis.

In what order should the nurse perform the following interventions? Arrange from highest to lowest priority.

Choice A rationale
Administering the medication at 1000, 1600, 2200, and 0400 would not be the best schedule because it does not evenly distribute the doses throughout the day. This could lead to periods of subtherapeutic medication levels and periods of potential toxicity.
Choice B rationale
Administering the medication with meals and a bedtime snack is not the best schedule for this medication. While some medications need to be administered with food, there is no indication

that this medication needs to be. Furthermore, this schedule could lead to uneven distribution of the medication throughout the day.
Choice C rationale
Giving the medication in equally divided doses during waking hours is not the best schedule because it does not take into account the half-life of the medication or the patient’s sleep schedule. This could lead to subtherapeutic levels of the medication during the night.
Choice D rationale
Administering the medication at 0800, 1200, 1600, and 2000 is the best schedule for this medication. It evenly distributes the doses throughout the day, which can help maintain a therapeutic level of the medication and reduce the risk of toxicity.

Choice A rationale
For a client who has been intubated and is on a ventilator due to sepsis, the most appropriate action based on the client’s status would be to continue weaning the ventilator as ordered.
Weaning is the process of gradually reducing ventilator support, and it is typically initiated once the underlying cause of respiratory failure has been addressed. In this case, if the client’s condition has stabilized and there are no contraindications, continuing the weaning process as ordered would be the most appropriate action.
Choice B rationale
Decreasing the tidal volume is not necessarily the most appropriate action based on the client’s status. Tidal volume is the amount of air that is inhaled or exhaled during normal breathing.
While adjustments to tidal volume may be necessary in some cases, such as if the client is experiencing discomfort or if there are concerns about lung injury, there is no information in the scenario to suggest that a decrease in tidal volume is required at this time.
Choice C rationale
Switching the ventilator to pressure control is not necessarily the most appropriate action based on the client’s status. Pressure control ventilation is a mode of ventilation that can be used in certain situations, such as when there is a need to limit airway pressures. However, there is no information in the scenario to suggest that this change is required at this time.
Choice D rationale

Increasing the fractional concentration of inspired oxygen is not necessarily the most appropriate action based on the client’s status. The fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) is the concentration of oxygen in the gas mixture that the client is breathing. While adjustments to FiO2 may be necessary in some cases, such as if the client’s oxygen levels are low, there is no information in the scenario to suggest that an increase in FiO2 is required at this time.
Choice E rationale
Increasing the respiratory rate is not necessarily the most appropriate action based on the client’s status. The respiratory rate is the number of breaths that the client takes per minute, and it can be adjusted on the ventilator to meet the client’s needs. However, there is no information in the scenario to suggest that an increase in the respiratory rate is required at this time.
Choice F rationale
Changing the ventilator settings to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is not necessarily the most appropriate action based on the client’s status. CPAP is a mode of ventilation that can be used in certain situations, such as during the weaning process. However, there is no information in the scenario to suggest that this change is required at this time.
Choice G rationale
Alerting the provider of the blood gas values is not necessarily the most appropriate action based on the client’s status. While it is important to communicate significant changes or concerns to the provider, there is no information in the scenario to suggest that the blood gas values are abnormal or require immediate attention.