Immediately after birth, what should the nurse do for a newborn with an apical heart rate of 80 bpm?

The correct action to take for a newborn with an apical heart rate of 80 beats per minute is to initiate positive pressure ventilation. In a newborn, a heart rate below 100 bpm is considered bradycardia, which warrants immediate intervention, especially if the heart rate is significantly low. Positive pressure ventilation is crucial for ensuring adequate oxygenation and circulation to the infant, as bradycardia can lead to potentially serious complications if not promptly addressed.

The initiation of CPR would typically occur if the heart rate plummeted to below 60 bpm and is associated with a lack of effective ventilations. Therefore, while it is important to be prepared for CPR, the first step in this situation is to provide positive pressure ventilation to try to elevate the heart rate.

Assessing the infant's blood glucose level may be important in other contexts, particularly if signs of hypoglycemia are present, but it is not the immediate priority when faced with bradycardia. Waiting until after the one-minute Apgar assessment is not appropriate in this scenario, as immediate action is needed to address the infant's low heart rate. Thus, the priority in this case is to initiate positive pressure ventilation to support the newborn’s respiratory needs and improve heart rate.