A home health nurse is visiting a client who has COPD and is receiving oxygen at 2 L/min via nasal cannula. The client tells the nurse she has been having difficulty breathing. Which of the following actions is the nurse's priority at this time?

A. Evaluate the client's respiratory status: Assessing the client’s respiratory status is the priority to determine the severity of dyspnea, oxygen saturation, respiratory rate, lung sounds, and work of breathing. This information guides safe and appropriate interventions and prevents potentially harmful actions. B. Instruct the client to use a pursed-lip breathing technique: Pursed-lip breathing can help improve ventilation and reduce dyspnea in COPD, but it is a supportive intervention. The nurse must first assess the client’s current respiratory status before implementing breathing techniques. C. Have the client cough and expectorate secretions: Encouraging coughing may help clear secretions and improve airflow, but this action should follow an assessment to ensure it is safe and appropriate based on the client’s condition and oxygenation status. D. Increase the oxygen flow to 3 L/min: Increasing oxygen without assessing the client first may be unsafe, especially in COPD, where excessive oxygen can suppress the hypoxic drive. Oxygen adjustments should be based on current oxygen saturation and clinical assessment.