A nurse is reinforcing teaching with a client who has chronic stable angina and a new prescription for sublingual nitroglycerin.
Which of the following instructions should the nurse include in the teaching?

Choice A rationale:

A urine output of 600 mL in 8 hours is within the normal range. The average urine output for adults is about 1 to 2 liters per day.

Choice B rationale:

Clonidine is an antihypertensive medication. If the client’s blood pressure is already low (88/50 mm Hg), administering clonidine could further lower the blood pressure and cause hypotension.

Choice C rationale:

A heart rate of 110/min is slightly high, but it’s not a direct indication to withhold clonidine. Clonidine can actually help lower an elevated heart rate by reducing the levels of certain chemicals in your blood.

Choice D rationale:

A blood glucose level of 70 mg/dL is at the lower end of the normal range (70-100 mg/dL) However, clonidine does not directly affect blood glucose levels, so this would not be a reason to withhold the medication.

Choice A rationale:

While a tuberculin syringe can be used for insulin administration, it’s not necessary when mixing NPH and regular insulin. Insulin syringes are typically used for this purpose.

Choice B rationale:

Injecting air into each vial before withdrawing insulin helps equalize pressure and makes it easier to draw up the insulin. This should be done before withdrawing any insulin.

Choice C rationale:

Withdrawing NPH insulin first contradicts the standard practice of drawing up insulins. The usual recommendation is to draw up short-acting (regular) insulin before intermediate-acting (NPH) insulin.

Choice D rationale:

Shaking the regular insulin vial is unnecessary and could potentially create bubbles, making it harder to draw up the correct dose of insulin.