A 57-year-old man is admitted with left-sided ischemic stroke and is considered a good candidate for tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), which is started via IV. At shift change, the nurse caring for this patient observes that his blood pressure is 185/100 mmHg, and his pupils are poorly reactive. For which of the following events is this patient at risk?

The Progressive Care Certified Nurse (PCCN) exam is administered by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN), which is the largest specialty nursing organization in the world. The PCCN examination tests applicants' knowledge of caring for acutely ill adult patients.

PCCN is a specialty certification for nurses who provide direct care to acutely ill adult patients regardless of their physical location. Nurses interested in this certification may work in areas such as intermediate care, direct observation, stepdown, telemetry, transitional care or emergency departments.