A community health nurse is performing a home health admissions assessment with a client. The client reports being unable to obtain their prescriptions. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

The first step in the nursing process is assessment. Before taking action, the nurse must determine the reason the client cannot obtain prescriptions — whether it is financial, transportation, literacy, or another barrier. Only then can appropriate interventions be selected. Notifying family, calling the pharmacist, or making referrals are all interventions that should be based on the assessed barriers.