A nurse is caring for a client who has unstable cardiac dysrhythmias.

A nurse is caring for a client who has unstable cardiac dysrhythmias. The client has orders for medications, one of which is by oral route, the other by IV delivery.

The nurse realizes that the IV route would be fastest, but is also concerned about the side effects that this drug may produce and the fact that the client has never taken the drug, so any adverse effect is unknown. The nurse is implementing which step of the decision-making process?
1. Identify the purpose
2. Seek alternatives
3. Project
4. Implement

ANSWER

Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: In this step, the decision maker (nurse) identifies possible ways to meet the criteria. Alternatives considered are which route to give a certain medication: IV versus oral. The nurse is utilizing his experience, taking what he knows about cardiac problems and pharmacology, and will make a selection based on that information. Identifying the purpose, in this case, would be determining that the client needs intervention to control the dysrhythmia. Projecting is when the nurse applies creative thinking and skepticism to determine what might go wrong as a result of a decision and develops plans to prevent, minimize, or overcome any problems. Implementation is taking the plan into action.