Tag: Nursing assessment

Anemia affects an estimated 15.4% of adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD), with the prevalence rising to over 53% in stage 5 CKD [1.6.2]. For these patients, understanding **what to check before giving epoetin** is critical for safe and effective treatment.

According to numerous nursing and pharmacology resources, respiratory depression is the most serious adverse effect of opioid medications like morphine. Therefore, the single most critical assessment a nurse must complete before administering morphine is checking the patient's respiratory rate.

Medication errors account for a significant portion of preventable adverse events in healthcare. The nurse's role in the medication reconciliation process is pivotal to mitigating these risks by ensuring a complete and accurate medication list at every transition of care.

Respiratory depression is the most serious and potentially fatal side effect associated with morphine administration. This makes knowing what is the priority assessment before administering morphine a crucial step for all healthcare professionals to ensure patient safety and prevent adverse outcomes.

The risk of digoxin toxicity is significant, as a single overdose or chronic exposure can lead to potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias. Therefore, understanding what are the assessment cues for digoxin toxicity is crucial for all healthcare providers to ensure patient safety and timely intervention.

Nephrotoxicity, or kidney damage, may occur in up to 10-25% of patients receiving aminoglycoside therapy [1.4.6]. This statistic highlights why knowing which nursing assessment is most important to monitor in a client receiving an aminoglycoside is critical for preventing serious, and sometimes irreversible, harm.