The nurse is preparing to administer the client's morning dose of digoxin. Which action should the nurse take prior to administering the digoxin?

Rationale: A. Verify that the urine output exceeds 30 mL per hour: Monitoring urine output is important for evaluating kidney function, especially since digoxin is excreted renally. However, this is not the most critical assessment, as the immediate concern is cardiac function and heart rate B. Listen to the heart at the left 5th intercostal space: Digoxin can cause bradycardia and other arrhythmias. The nurse must auscultate the apical pulse at the left 5th intercostal space at the midclavicular line for a full minute before administering the dose. This ensures the drug is given safely and withheld if the pulse is too low, typically under 60 bpm. C. Obtain a left radial pulse rate for a full 30 seconds: The radial pulse does not provide as accurate an assessment as the apical pulse in detecting irregular rhythms. Counting for 30 seconds also risks missing intermittent dysrhythmias, making this method unsafe. D. Check the client for signs of orthostatic hypotension: While orthostatic hypotension may occur with some cardiac medications, the more urgent action is assessing the heart rate and rhythm to prevent complications related to drug-induced bradyarrhythmias.