What is the nurse's priority action for a client experiencing carbon monoxide poisoning?

In cases of carbon monoxide poisoning, the priority action is to move the client outdoors to fresh air. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that binds to hemoglobin in red blood cells more effectively than oxygen, leading to cellular hypoxia. The immediate goal when addressing carbon monoxide exposure is to remove the individual from the contaminated environment to prevent further inhalation of the gas.

Moving the client to fresh air helps to reduce the concentration of carbon monoxide in their system. This action is crucial because it addresses the underlying cause of the hypoxia rather than merely assessing or treating the symptoms. Other actions, such as assessing pulse oximetry or performing lung auscultation, are important components of patient monitoring and care, but they do not provide immediate remediation of the toxic exposure. Notifying the primary healthcare provider is also necessary in the subsequent steps of managing the patient, but the priority is to ensure the client is in a safe environment free from the source of poisoning.