You are called for an alert patient with respiratory distress. As part of your primary assessment, you place the patient on oxygen via nasal cannula at 2 liters per minute. You continue with the rest of your assessment including taking a set of vital signs. During your reassessment, you notice that the patient's respiratory rate has increased to 24 times per minute and he is having increasing

trouble breathing. You should:

A) assist the patient's breathing with a bag-valve mask.
B) increase the flow rate of the nasal cannula to 4 liters per minute.
C) call medical direction for orders to administer his inhaler.
D) switch your patient to a nonrebreather mask at 15 liters per minute.

D