A family in the emergency department is overwhelmed at the loss of several family members due to a shooting incident in the community. Which intervention should the nurse complete first?

Choice A reason: Containing the fire by closing all the doors is an important step to prevent the spread of fire and smoke, but it is not the priority action. The primary concern should be the safety of the client, which involves removing them from immediate danger.

Choice B reason: Extinguishing the fire using the nearest fire extinguisher is a critical action to control the fire, but it should not take precedence over ensuring the client's safety. The nurse must first ensure that the client is out of harm's way before attempting to put out the fire.

Choice C reason: Removing the client from immediate danger is the priority action. The nurse's first responsibility is to ensure the safety of the client by getting them to a safe area away from the fire. This action minimizes the risk of injury or harm to the client.

Choice D reason: Activating the fire alarm is essential to alert other staff and initiate emergency procedures, but it should be done after ensuring that the client is safe. The primary focus should be on the immediate safety of the client, followed by actions to manage the fire.

Choice A reason: Conducting a study about the time and money costs of implementing the change is valuable for understanding the resource implications of the measures. However, it does not directly evaluate the effectiveness of the changes in reducing medication errors.

Choice B reason: Providing the staff with a questionnaire to quantify staff satisfaction with the changes can offer insights into how well the measures are being received by the staff and may indicate potential areas for improvement in implementation. Nonetheless, it does not measure the direct impact on medication error rates.

Choice C reason: Comparing the number of medication errors before and after the action was implemented is the most direct and effective method to evaluate the success of the changes. This approach allows the committee to measure the actual impact of the interventions on reducing medication errors, providing clear evidence of their effectiveness.

Choice D reason: Establishing a benchmark to identify a standard of performance is essential for setting goals and expectations. However, it is not a method for evaluating the success of changes that have already been implemented. It is more relevant for future goal-setting and performance measurement.