Which nursing intervention would be appropriate for a patient diagnosed with hypokalemia?

NVS- 2025

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: NVS- 2025

Explanation

Hypokalemia is a serum potassium level below 3.5 mEq/L, which requires potassium replacement to prevent complications.
Administering oral potassium supplements as prescribed is the safest and most common first-line treatment for correcting mild to moderate hypokalemia.
This intervention directly addresses the underlying electrolyte deficit, helping to restore normal cellular function and prevent cardiac dysrhythmias.

Option A: This intervention is the opposite of what is required. Patients with low potassium need to increase their intake.
Option B: This intervention addresses calcium balance, which is a different electrolyte and not the priority in managing an acute potassium deficit.
Option C: Encouraging high sodium intake can increase renal potassium excretion, potentially worsening the hypokalemia.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Nursing interventions for hypokalemia to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Nurses must recognize signs of hypokalemia (muscle weakness, fatigue, dysrhythmias) and intervene promptly, as severe cases can lead to life-threatening cardiac arrest or respiratory failure.
A critical nursing safety check before administering any potassium supplement is to verify the patient's most recent potassium level and ensure adequate renal function (urine output of at least 30 mL/hr). Administering potassium to a patient with poor kidney function can cause dangerous hyperkalemia.
What if? If the patient had severe hypokalemia (e.g., below 2.5 mEq/L) with significant ECG changes and was unable to take oral supplements, the priority intervention would shift to administering intravenous (IV) potassium. IV potassium must be diluted, administered via an infusion pump (never IV push), and given at a controlled rate (usually not exceeding 10-20 mEq/hr) with continuous cardiac monitoring.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core clinical problem presented in the question: the patient has hypokalemia, meaning a low level of potassium in the blood.
Next, analyze the question's objective: it asks for an 'appropriate' nursing intervention. This means you need to find the action that directly and correctly treats the identified problem.
Evaluate each option based on the pathophysiology of hypokalemia. The primary goal is to increase the body's potassium level safely.
Option A (caution against potassium) would lower potassium further, making it incorrect. Option B (discuss calcium) addresses the wrong electrolyte. Option C (encourage sodium) can worsen potassium loss.
Option D (administer potassium) directly addresses the deficit. This is the most logical and standard treatment.
Therefore, select the option that provides a direct, safe, and effective solution to the patient's diagnosed condition.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Nursing Brunner Adult Health 3SA Vol 1 Part 1 p. 151-153

E6 Pharmacology Nursing Lilley 11e Part 2 pp. 170-172, 173-175