medium · NCLEX-RN safety
A 61-year-old female with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections and stool colonization with vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) is admitted with a temperature of 39.1 C (102.4 F), heart rate of 112/min, and blood pressure of 96/60 mm Hg. Blood and urine cultures are drawn. The provider orders empiric IV vancomycin 1,000 mg every 12 hours.
Which action should the nurse take first?
- Wait for the blood culture results to show active resistance before questioning the antibiotic choice, for this client, based on the information currently available.
- Administer the vancomycin as ordered to rapidly treat the suspected Gram-negative sepsis.
- Administer the vancomycin but request that the blood cultures be processed faster to identify the organism, in this situation, for the clinical situation described.
- Contact the provider to question the vancomycin order and suggest an agent with VRE coverage, such as linezolid or daptomycin, given the high risk of VRE bacteremia.
Sign up free to see the explanation and track your rank →
More NCLEX-RN safety practice
- A client is admitted with suspected bacterial meningitis. Which set of vital signs and cue
- While irrigating a large, draining pressure injury, which PPE should the nurse wear to adh
- After flushing the eye with water, which action is most critical?
- Which action by the nurse demonstrates a correct application of standard precautions?
- Which action should the nurse take when leaving the room?
- Which transmission-based precaution is most appropriate?
- Which action should the RN perform first?
- Which action by the RN is most appropriate?