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

A. Verify that the urine output exceeds 30 mL per hour: Monitoring urine output does not provide immediate information about cardiac function or digoxin safety. Urine output alone does not influence the decision to administer digoxin. B. Check the client for signs of orthostatic hypotension: Orthostatic hypotension assessment is useful for overall cardiovascular status but does not directly affect the safety of digoxin administration. This medication’s main concern is heart rate and rhythm rather than blood pressure changes on position. C. Obtain a left radial pulse rate for a full 30 seconds: The radial pulse can give some indication of heart rate, but it is less reliable than the apical pulse for detecting arrhythmias or bradycardia caused by digoxin. Also, assessing for a full 60 seconds is preferable to catch irregularities. D. Listen to the heart at the left 5th intercostal space and count the apical pulse for 60 seconds: Apical pulse assessment at this site provides the most accurate measurement of heart rate and rhythm before digoxin administration. Counting for a full minute ensures detection of bradycardia or irregular rhythms, critical for safe medication administration.