What is the primary responsibility of a nurse during a blood transfusion?

The primary responsibility of a nurse during a blood transfusion is to monitor vital signs for adverse reactions. This is essential because blood transfusions can lead to serious complications, including allergic reactions, febrile non-hemolytic reactions, or hemolytic reactions. Therefore, continuous monitoring of the patient's vital signs—such as temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate—allows the nurse to detect any changes or signs of an adverse reaction early.

Moreover, the nurse should establish a baseline set of vital signs before the transfusion begins and then continue to monitor them at regular intervals during and after the procedure. Prompt identification of any adverse reactions enables timely interventions, thereby ensuring patient safety.

While preparing the blood product for infusion, documenting the blood type, and performing physical evaluations are important tasks within the transfusion process, they are not as critical during the actual transfusion as the ongoing monitoring of vital signs is. This highlight's the nurse's primary role in safeguarding the patient's well-being during this potentially high-risk procedure.