Nursing Acceleration Challenge Exam (NACE) PN-RN Practice Test

What should be prioritized in an emergency situation where a patient shows signs of respiratory distress?

1. Administering bronchodilators.

2. Ensuring airway patency.

3. Assessing blood pressure.

4. Providing patient education.

The correct answer is: Ensuring airway patency.

In an emergency situation involving a patient with respiratory distress, ensuring airway patency is paramount. This is crucial because an obstructed airway can lead to inadequate oxygen supply to the lungs and subsequently to vital organs, potentially resulting in severe hypoxia or respiratory failure. Immediate assessment and intervention to open the airway can make a significant difference in the patient's outcome. While administering bronchodilators can be important in cases of bronchospasm or reactive airway disease, it is secondary to ensuring that the airway is open and functional. If the airway is compromised, no amount of medication will be effective until the airway is secured. Assessing blood pressure, although an important part of overall patient assessment, does not address the immediate threat posed by respiratory distress. Likewise, providing patient education, while beneficial for long-term management, is not appropriate in an acute emergency situation where the patient is in need of immediate medical attention. The focus must remain on stabilizing the patient first, starting with the airway.