The nurse is caring for a patient who has been ordered an adrenergic drug to treat asthma. When assessing the patient prior to administering the first dose of the drug, the nurse finds that the patient’s blood pressure is 180/90 mm Hg. What is the nurse’s highest priority action?
The nurse needs to get the BP under control by reducing it to normal level, closer to 120/80. The adrenergic agonist has a tendency to increase BP by increasing heart rate, amongst other things.
