Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 72%
Full-length
The morning staff of an inpatient psychiatric unit has just completed the change of shift report. The nurse should give priority to assessing the client:
Correct answer
C
Rationale
A lithium level of 1.8 mEq/L is above the therapeutic range (0.6-1.2 mEq/L) and indicates potential toxicity, requiring immediate assessment. Answer A is important but less urgent unless the hallucinations are commanding harm. Answer B is incorrect as the client is only scheduled for therapy, not in immediate danger. Answer D is within normal WBC range and less critical.