A client in active labor receiving epidural anesthesia reports nausea and hypotension. What should the nurse do first?

When a client in active labor receiving epidural anesthesia reports nausea and hypotension, turning the client to a lateral position is the priority action. This position is known to help improve venous return to the heart and can alleviate hypotension by increasing blood flow.

Epidural anesthesia can cause sympathetic blockade, leading to vasodilation and hypotension. By placing the client laterally, particularly on the left side, the nurse can help prevent compression of the inferior vena cava, which can further reduce blood flow and exacerbate hypotension.

While administering an antiemetic or increasing IV fluids can also be appropriate interventions to address nausea and hypotension, those actions would typically follow turning the client to a side-lying position. Additionally, calling for assistance may be necessary, but in urgent situations like this, immediate action to stabilize the patient takes precedence.