A nurse is caring for a client and realizes they have administered the wrong medication. Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

A. Use surveillance to investigate outbreaks of foodborne illness. Investigating outbreaks falls under the assessment function of public health, which involves monitoring and identifying health problems within the community through data collection and analysis.

B. Monitor the incidence rates of varicella every 2 months. Tracking disease incidence is part of the assessment function, as it involves ongoing surveillance to detect trends and potential public health concerns. This data helps in planning and evaluating interventions but does not directly ensure service delivery.

C. Organize an immunization clinic for at-risk members of the community. Assurance involves ensuring that essential public health services are available and accessible. Organizing an immunization clinic directly provides a critical health service to protect vulnerable populations, making it an example of the assurance function.

D. Educate the community about the health risks of alcohol use. Providing health education aligns with the policy development function, which focuses on informing and empowering the community to make healthier choices through laws, regulations, and initiatives.

A. "If you accept this assignment today, I will let you choose your assignment tomorrow.": This statement exemplifies smoothing as a conflict resolution strategy. By offering a compromise or incentive, the charge nurse is attempting to reduce tension and create a more favorable situation for the staff nurse, thereby smoothing over the disagreement about the assignment.

B. "Let's just focus on giving out client medications on time.": This statement diverts attention from the conflict but does not actively seek to resolve it. It may minimize the issue temporarily but does not address the underlying disagreement or concern regarding the assignment.

C. "If you don't agree with the assignment, I will have to report your decision to the nursing supervisor.": This statement is confrontational and may escalate the conflict rather than resolve it. It places pressure on the staff nurse and does not foster a collaborative atmosphere for finding a solution.

D. "You have a lot of experience, so I'm sure you're capable of these tasks.": While this statement acknowledges the staff nurse's experience, it may not effectively address the conflict regarding the assignment. It could come across as dismissive of the nurse's concerns rather than facilitating a resolution to the disagreement.