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A client's potassium level is 6.7 mEq/L. Which intervention should the nurse delegate to the first-year student nurse he or she is supervising?

1. Administer sodium polystyrene sulfonate 15 g orally.
2. Administer spironolactone 25 mg orally.
3. Assess the ECG strip for tall T waves.
4. Administer potassium 10 mEq.

Answer :

Final answer:

The most appropriate intervention to delegate to a first-year student nurse is to assess the ECG strip for tall T waves, as medication administration should be performed by a licensed nurse, and administering more potassium is contraindicated in hyperkalemia.

Explanation:

If a client's potassium level is 6.7 mEq/L, the nurse is dealing with a case of hyperkalemia, an elevated potassium blood level. The nurse should not delegate tasks that require professional judgment or complex skill sets to a first-year student nurse. Among the options provided:

  1. Administer sodium polystyrene sulfonate 15 g orally.
  2. Administer spironolactone 25 mg orally.
  3. Assess the ECG strip tall T waves.
  4. Administer potassium 10 mEq.

The most appropriate intervention for the student nurse to perform would be to assess the ECG strip for tall T waves. Administration of medications, such as sodium polystyrene sulfonate (to treat hyperkalemia) or spironolactone (a potassium-sparing diuretic that could worsen hyperkalemia), should be done by a licensed nurse. Additionally, administering more potassium, in any form, would be contraindicated in a patient with hyperkalemia. Assessing an ECG strip can be delegated to a student nurse as it is an observational task that is within their level of competence.

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