A nurse is receiving change of shift reports from four clients. Which of the following
clients should the nurse see first?
a. A client who had a hernia repair 4 hr. ago and is reporting nausea
b. A client who has cirrhosis and hematemesis
c. A client who is 1 day postoperative and reports a pain level of 7 on a scale from 0 to 10
d. A client who has sickle cell disease and hyperbilirubinemia

The nurse should see client c. first, as they are reporting a high level of pain and may require immediate intervention.