Nclex PN Questions and Answers Related

Review Nclex PN Questions and Answers related questions and content

A nurse on the night shift is making client rounds. When the nurse checks a client who is 97 years old and has successfully been treated for heart failure, he notes that the client is not breathing. If the client does not have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order, the nurse should take which action?

  • A. Administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)
  • B. Call the client's health care provider
  • C. Administer oxygen to the client and call the health care provider
  • D. Contact the nursing supervisor for directions
Correct Answer: A

Rationale: Administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is the appropriate action when a client is not breathing and does not have a do-not-resuscitate (DNR) order. CPR is considered an emergency treatment that can be provided without client consent in life-threatening situations. Calling the health care provider or nursing supervisor for directions, as well as administering oxygen without addressing the lack of breathing, would delay critical life-saving interventions. Therefore, administering CPR is the most urgent and necessary action to perform in this scenario.