What should you anticipate if a nurse notes a decline in a patient's oxygen saturation during bedside bronchoscopy?

Anticipating a decline in a patient's oxygen saturation during a bedside bronchoscopy indicates that the patient may be experiencing hypoxemia, which is a potentially serious situation. Providing supplemental oxygen is a critical intervention to help restore oxygen levels and ensure adequate oxygenation of the patient's tissues. Supplemental oxygen can improve the patient's oxygen saturation and help to prevent complications, allowing for the continuation of the procedure if necessary.

In this scenario, while auscultating the lungs bilaterally could help in assessing any changes in respiratory sounds, it does not directly address the immediate drop in oxygen saturation. Monitoring end-tidal carbon dioxide (EtCO2) may also provide useful information about the patient's ventilatory status but would not be the most urgent response. Performing chest compressions would only be indicated in a situation where the patient becomes unresponsive or shows no signs of breathing, which is not typically immediate after a decline in oxygen saturation during a procedure like bronchoscopy. Hence, providing supplemental oxygen is the most appropriate and immediate response to address the drop in oxygen levels effectively.