Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 67%
Simulated
A nurse is caring for a client who arrives at the emergency department and reports vomiting and diarrhea for the past 3 days. The client's serum potassium level is 2.8 mEq/L. Which of the following interventions should the nurse implement first?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Hypokalemia (2.8 mEq/L) risks cardiac arrhythmias; initiating cardiac monitoring is the priority to detect life-threatening changes. Other interventions follow based on assessment findings.