A patient reports severe eye pain, nausea, and coloured halos around lights several hours after eye surgery. What should the nurse do first?
Correct answer: A. Notify the ophthalmologist urgently and keep the patient at rest
- A. Notify the ophthalmologist urgently and keep the patient at rest
- B. Reassure the patient that blurred vision is expected after surgery
- C. Apply an eye pad and arrange routine follow-up the next day
- D. Encourage oral fluids and reassess the symptoms after one hour
Explanation
Severe eye pain, nausea, and coloured halos may indicate a sight-threatening rise in intraocular pressure or another acute complication. The patient needs urgent ophthalmic review, so reassurance and routine follow-up are unsafe delays.
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About Clinical Judgement and Prioritisation
Clinical judgement links assessment findings, nursing knowledge and patient responses to a safe decision. Coverage includes ABCDE assessment, recognising actual or potential instability, prioritising airway, breathing and circulation, using urgency and risk rather than routine order, reassessing after intervention, and distinguishing a nursing priority from a medical diagnosis or a task that can wait.
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