A nurse is nearing the end of her very busy shift. As she is about to leave she notices a nurse’s aide and LPN are playing cards in the break room. The nurse confirms they are both on shift and asks why they are playing instead of working. The LPN states they were not given any work tasks to complete. Which response from the nurse is most appropriate?

The nurse notes a colleague consistently triages patients as more acutely ill than necessary. The nurse educates the colleague to triage appropriately in order to prevent which complication?

The 58-year-old patient presents to the emergency department of a community hospital complaining of worsening back pain that started a few days ago. He states, “I thought maybe I had slept wrong and gotten a spasm, but I’m not sure. I didn’t fall or get hit or anything. The ibuprofen I took definitely didn’t help.” His blood pressure is 174/96 mmHg and heart rate is 96 bpm. He reports being out of his antihypertensive medication for the past week while he was out of town. Other history is notable for arthritis in the hands and a 44-pack-year smoking history. He drinks socially but denies illicit drug use. A pulsating abdominal mass is noted; otherwise, his assessment is benign. The nurse advocates for which treatment option?