1. The nurse has just fi nished the change-of-shift hand-off report. Which patient should the nurse assess fi rst?

A. a postoperative cholecystectomy patient who is complaining of pain but received an IM injection of morphine fi ve minutes ago B. a postoperative appendectomy patient who will be discharged in the next few hours C. a patient with asthma who had diffi culty breathing during the prior shift D. an elderly patient with diabetes who is on the bedpan