A nurse in a mental health facility is caring for a client who reports palpitations and a sense of impending doom. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

A. Administer an anti-anxiety medication is not the first action. The nurse should first assess and manage the client's environment and emotional state before resorting to medication. B. Minimize environmental stimuli in the client's surroundings is correct. The client is experiencing anxiety, and minimizing stimuli helps to reduce environmental triggers and can immediately alleviate distress. C. Explore behaviors that have helped to reduce the client's anxiety in the past is a good intervention but should not be the first response. The immediate priority is to reduce the anxiety by controlling the environment. D. Explain to the client that anxiety causes physical manifestations is helpful but should occur after the immediate anxiety-reduction measures are in place. Providing this information can be part of the therapeutic process but does not address the client’s immediate distress.