Which signs should a PSS monitor as potential adverse medication effects?

• A. Sedation and dizziness only.
• B. Short-term memory loss alone.
• C. Increased appetite with stable mood.
• D. Sedation, agitation, mood changes, or new behavioral changes; report to the clinician.

Answer: (D)

Monitoring adverse medication effects is about watching for changes in a client’s alertness, mood, thinking, and behavior. The best choice reflects that adverse effects can show up as several signs at once or separately, and they require clinician review. Sedation or drowsiness can impair safety and functioning; agitation or mood changes may indicate central nervous system effects or a mismatch with treatment; and new behavioral changes can signal emerging delirium, mood episodes, or other reactions. Noticing these signs and reporting them promptly to the clinician helps ensure the medication plan is adjusted as needed. Other options are incomplete because they miss important signs (like agitation, mood changes, or new behaviors) or describe a change that isn’t typically an adverse medication effect (such as increased appetite with stable mood). The PSS’s role is to observe, document, and relay these observations accurately so the clinician can assess and respond, while following safety and confidentiality practices.