A nurse is caring for a client who has chronic kidney failure. An assistive personnel reports that the client has a blood pressure of 190/110mm Hg. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

• request a prescription for an increase in statin medication: Although the client's total cholesterol is elevated at 230 mg/dL, adjusting lipid management is not the immediate priority during an acute chest pain episode. The immediate focus should be stabilizing airway, breathing, and circulation.
• prepare the client for cardiac catheterization: Cardiac catheterization may ultimately be needed to assess coronary artery blockages, but before this, the client must be stabilized with oxygen and medications to control chest pain and improve oxygenation.
• administer oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula: The client’s oxygen saturation dropped to 92% on room air, which is low for someone experiencing chest pain and possible myocardial ischemia. Administering supplemental oxygen improves myocardial oxygen supply and reduces cardiac workload, addressing airway and breathing priorities.
• check a STAT cardiac troponin: The client’s initial troponin level was normal, but troponin can take several hours to rise after myocardial injury. While monitoring serial troponins is important, managing oxygenation and chest pain relief takes precedence right now.
• administer sublingual nitroglycerin: After ensuring oxygenation, sublingual nitroglycerin should be administered to relieve chest pain by dilating coronary arteries and decreasing myocardial oxygen demand. It helps reduce ischemia and may prevent further cardiac injury.
• request a prescription for a beta-blocker: Beta-blockers help control heart rate and blood pressure but are not the immediate first-line response for active chest pain and oxygen desaturation. Oxygen and nitroglycerin must be prioritized first to address the acute ischemic event.

A. Open nearby doors and windows when the fire alarm sounds: Opening doors and windows during a fire can cause the fire to spread more rapidly by feeding it with additional oxygen. Doors should be closed to contain the fire and reduce the spread of smoke.

B. Attempt to extinguish the fire before evacuating clients: Client safety is the priority in a fire situation. Evacuation should occur first, and attempts to extinguish the fire should only be made if it is safe to do so without putting clients or staff at risk.

C. Have ambulatory clients walk independently to a safe location: Ambulatory clients should be instructed to evacuate independently if they can do so safely, freeing staff to assist clients who are immobile or require more help during the evacuation.

D. Aim the spray of the fire extinguisher at the top of the fire: The proper technique is to aim at the base of the fire, not the top, to effectively extinguish the flames by removing the fire's source of fuel.