A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving diazepam for moderate (conscious) sedation. Which of the following actions should the nurse take to assess for an adverse reaction to the medication?

The correct answer is A: Monitor the client's oxygen saturation. When administering diazepam for conscious sedation, a potential adverse reaction is respiratory depression, which can lead to decreased oxygen saturation. Monitoring oxygen saturation allows the nurse to promptly identify any respiratory compromise. Checking urinary output (B) is not directly related to assessing for adverse reactions to diazepam. Monitoring for seizure activity (C) is important when administering medications that lower seizure threshold, but it is not a common adverse reaction of diazepam. Auscultating bowel sounds (D) is unrelated to assessing for adverse reactions to diazepam.