An older adult patient taking sustained-release morphine 100 mg every 12 hours has become agitated and confused at night. The patient's partner called the physician, and risperidone 1 mg was ordered orally every hour until the patient falls asleep. The patient received 4 doses. The next morning, the partner is unable to arouse the patient and contacts the primary nurse. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate nursing response?

While educating the partner about the on-call nurse's role is important, it does not address the immediate concern of the patient's altered level of consciousness. The priority should be assessing and managing the patient's condition rather than providing general information about nursing roles.

Obtaining an order to reduce the morphine dose may be a necessary action eventually, but it is not the immediate response required in this situation. The patient's unresponsiveness needs to be evaluated first to determine if it is related to morphine or the recent administration of risperidone.

Preparing the partner for the patient's imminent death is premature and inappropriate without first assessing the patient's condition and consulting with the physician. It is crucial to investigate the underlying cause of the patient's unresponsiveness before making such grave assumptions.