A nurse is assisting a patient with ambulation. the patient becomes short of breath and begins to complain of sharp chest pain.
which action by the nurse is the first priority? a. call for the emergency response team to bring the defibrillator.
b. have the patient sit down in the nearest chair.
c. return the patient to the room and apply 100% oxygen.
d. ask a coworker to get the electrocardiogram (ecg) machine stat.
The correct option is B. Having short breath and sharp pains in the chest are indications of cardiac distress and it indicate that the heart is been exerted upon. The first thing the nurse should do is to ask the patient to sit down in order to reduce the exertion force on the heart. Resting will allow the patient to become stabilized, the nurse can then check the patient's need for oxygen application. <span />
