Prioritization of Patient Care Needs

A nurse is working on a busy medical-surgical unit and is assigned to four patients. The patients and their current conditions are as follows:

• Patient A: Post-operative day 1 from a laparoscopic cholecystectomy, vital signs stable.
• Patient B: Scheduled for surgery in 2 hours, requires pre-operative education and medication administration.
• Patient C: New admission with pneumonia, requires assessment and initial breathing treatments.
• Patient D: Has a PCA pump and is requesting pain medication.

Which patient should the nurse prioritize first in terms of immediate care needs? The answer is __________.