Which of the following is an independent nursing intervention?

• A. Administering medications per physician order
• B. Attending an interdisciplinary meeting
• C. Documenting care after shift
• D. Raising the head of the bed for a patient with shortness of breath

Answer: (D)

Independent nursing interventions are actions nurses can initiate without a physician's order to address patient needs. Raising the head of the bed for a patient with shortness of breath is one of these actions because it has an immediate, non-prescription effect on breathing by improving chest expansion and reducing work of breathing, which can enhance oxygenation and comfort right away. It doesn’t require an order and is within the nurse’s scope of practice. By contrast, administering medications needs a physician’s order; attending an interdisciplinary meeting is about care coordination rather than direct patient care, and documenting care after a shift is important but is a documentation task rather than a direct intervention to alter the patient’s status. So, raising the head of the bed is the independent intervention.