The home care nurse assesses an older adult client's blood pressure as being 150/100 mmHg
When reviewing medications, the client reports taking the blood pressure medication only when feeling tense. Which instruction from the nurse is most appropriate based on the data provided?
A) Continue to take medication when feeling tense.
B) Take the blood pressure medication as prescribed regardless of feeling tense.
C) Take the blood pressure medication at twice the prescribed dosage for 1 day and then resume the daily schedule.
D) Contact the healthcare provider for an increase in blood pressure medication.
Answer: B
Clients sometimes mistakenly take blood pressure medication only on an as-needed basis. This is incorrect; the client should take the medication as prescribed on a daily basis. The dosage prescribed may be appropriate if taken daily; therefore, it would not need to be increased. To advise the client to increase the medication without consultation with the healthcare provider would be out of the scope of nursing practice.
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