The nurse is performing an assessment on a client who has returned from the dialysis unit following hemodialysis. The client is complaining of headache and nausea and is extremely restless. Which is the priority nursing action?

Choice A reason: Disagreements among team members signal conflicting values, an early ethical dilemma indicator. This aligns with healthcare ethics, making it a correct situation, as it highlights potential ethical tensions that the nurse should recognize as requiring resolution in patient care.

Choice B reason: Failure to discuss end-of-life issues with the patient violates autonomy, creating an ethical dilemma. This aligns with ethical principles of patient involvement, making it a correct early sign the nurse should identify in healthcare decision-making processes.

Choice C reason: Aggressive pain management is a clinical decision, not inherently an ethical dilemma unless harm is suspected. Disagreements or belief in harm are clearer signs, making this incorrect, as it lacks the ethical conflict context in the nurse’s evaluation.

Choice D reason: Believing treatment is harmful raises ethical concerns about beneficence and nonmaleficence, indicating a dilemma. This aligns with ethical care standards, making it a correct situation the nurse should recognize as an early sign of an ethical issue in treatment decisions.

Choice E reason: Following an advance directive despite family objections creates an ethical conflict between patient autonomy and family wishes. This aligns with end-of-life ethics, making it a correct early sign of a dilemma the nurse should identify in patient care.

Choice F reason: Providing hope to the family is supportive and not inherently an ethical dilemma unless it involves deception. Failure to discuss end-of-life issues is a clearer sign, making this incorrect, as it lacks the ethical conflict context in the nurse’s assessment.

Choice A reason: Potassium concentration should be 10-20 mEq/100mL, not 1 mEq/10mL, to avoid irritation. Using an IV controller is correct, making this incorrect, as it’s an unsafe dilution compared to the nurse’s best practices for safe parenteral potassium administration.

Choice B reason: Checking IV access for blood return post-infusion ensures the potassium was delivered correctly, preventing extravasation. This aligns with IV therapy safety, making it a correct best practice the nurse should follow when administering parenteral potassium to the client.

Choice C reason: Pushing potassium as a bolus is dangerous, risking cardiac arrhythmias; it must be infused slowly. IV controller use is correct, making this incorrect, as it’s unsafe compared to the nurse’s best practices for administering potassium to a hypokalemic client.

Choice D reason: Hand veins are unsuitable for potassium, which is irritating and requires larger veins. Checking blood return is correct, making this incorrect, as it risks complications compared to the nurse’s best practices for safe potassium administration in the client.

Choice E reason: Keeping the client NPO is unnecessary for potassium administration, which addresses hypokalemia, not digestion. IV controller use is correct, making this incorrect, as it’s irrelevant to the nurse’s best practices for delivering parenteral potassium safely to the client.

Choice F reason: Using an IV controller ensures a safe, steady infusion rate for potassium, preventing cardiac complications. This aligns with medication safety protocols, making it a correct best practice the nurse should employ when administering parenteral potassium to the hypokalemic client.