A nurse is assessing a patient who has just undergone surgery and is in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). The nurse knows that one potential complication of anesthesia is respiratory depression. In patients at risk for this complication, the nurse should monitor the respiratory rate and keep an emergency airway kit nearby.

To ensure patient safety, the nurse should be aware that the normal range for adult respiratory rate is considered to be between ______ breaths per minute.