A client with a complicated urinary tract infection continues to have symptoms after three days of ciprofloxacin. What is the nurse’s priority action?

In this scenario, the most appropriate action for the nurse is to notify the healthcare provider about the client's lack of improvement after three days of treatment with ciprofloxacin. This priority action is crucial because a complicated urinary tract infection may require further evaluation to determine the effectiveness of the prescribed antibiotic or the need for additional diagnostic testing.

The symptoms persisting despite treatment suggest that the current antibiotic may not be effective against the specific bacteria causing the infection, which could be due to antibiotic resistance or an underlying condition that wasn’t initially addressed. Informing the healthcare provider allows for timely medical intervention, which may include adjusting the antibiotic regimen, prescribing a different class of antibiotic, or possibly performing imaging studies or other tests to assess for complications such as abscess formation or obstruction.

The other options, while important, do not address the immediate need for clinical reassessment. Administering additional antibiotics without provider consultation could lead to inappropriate treatment, encouraging fluid intake is beneficial but doesn’t address the underlying issue, and scheduling a follow-up appointment may not be timely enough to adjust the care necessary to resolve the infection effectively.