A client with coronary artery disease receives nitroglycerin for chest pain. If the pain persists after 5 minutes, what should the nurse do next?

In this scenario, the nurse's next step, after administering nitroglycerin to relieve chest pain from coronary artery disease and noting that the pain persists after 5 minutes, is to contact the registered nurse. This action is crucial because it ensures that a more experienced or higher-level healthcare provider is made aware of the patient's ongoing symptoms, particularly since persistent chest pain could indicate a critical situation such as worsening angina or potential myocardial infarction.

Drawing attention to the nurse's role, contacting a registered nurse (or a healthcare provider) allows for further assessment and potential interventions that might be needed to manage the patient's condition effectively. This could include additional medications, further diagnostic testing, or even preparation for emergent care, depending on the registered nurse's evaluation.

In this context, the other options would not be appropriate subsequent actions. Calling a code blue could be excessive in this situation without consulting further; contacting the client's family does not address the immediate medical concern; and assessing the client's pain level, while important, does not prioritize the critical action needed in response to persistent chest pain. Thus, involving a registered nurse is essential for optimal patient safety and care.