Nokea
A 17-year-old client is admitted to the ED after being alternately hyperalert and difficult to arouse. His symptoms all started within the last few hours, during which time he became disoriented and confused. His behavior was agitated and restless, and his memory was impaired, especially for recent events. The client displayed some delusions and misinterpretations of his surroundings. The nurse's first action should be to:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Take the client's vital signs. The first step in assessing any client in the emergency department is to ensure their physiological stability. Vital signs provide essential information about the client's current physical condition, such as heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and temperature. In this case, the client's alternating states of hyperalertness and difficulty in arousal, disorientation, confusion, agitation, memory impairment, delusions, and misinterpretations of surroundings indicate a potential medical emergency. Therefore, taking the client's vital signs is crucial to determine if there are any immediate life-threatening conditions that need to be addressed promptly.
Summary of other choices:
B: Restrain the client to prevent injury - Restraint should only be used as a last resort for safety concerns and after assessing the client's physical condition.
C: Obtain a PRN order for a psychotropic medication - Administering psychotropic medication should not be the first action without assessing the client's physical condition and