A nurse is caring for four clients who are all requesting assistance. Which of the following clients should the nurse assist first?

A. A client who is requesting a bedpan. While important for comfort and dignity, requesting a bedpan is not an urgent or life-threatening situation. The nurse should prioritize clients based on immediate safety concerns before assisting with toileting needs.

B. A client who reports their IV pump is beeping. An IV pump alarm may indicate an occlusion, low battery, or completion of an infusion. While it requires attention, it is not an immediate priority over a client who has experienced a fall, which could result in serious injuries.

C. A client who is postoperative and is reporting nausea. Nausea is discomforting and should be addressed, especially in postoperative clients who are at risk for aspiration. However, this is not an immediate safety concern compared to assessing a client who has fallen, which may involve head trauma or fractures.

D. A client who reports they have fallen while ambulating. A fall can result in serious injuries such as fractures, head trauma, or internal bleeding. The nurse must assess the client immediately for injuries, neurological status, and vital signs to determine the appropriate interventions, making this the highest priority.

A. "There are four steps in the process of EBP." The evidence-based practice (EBP) process generally consists of six to seven steps, including identifying a clinical problem, formulating a clinical question, searching for relevant evidence, appraising the evidence, integrating findings into practice, evaluating outcomes, and disseminating results. Stating that there are only four steps is inaccurate.

B. "Reviewing the effectiveness of the findings is the last step of the EBP process." The final step in EBP involves evaluating whether the implemented practice changes were effective in improving patient outcomes. If the findings are not beneficial, modifications or additional research may be necessary. This statement correctly reflects the last step of EBP.

C. "Reliance on personal experiences is important to the process of EBP." While clinical experience can inform decision-making, EBP prioritizes high-quality, peer-reviewed research and objective data rather than solely relying on personal experiences, which may be biased or outdated.

D. "Identifying the problem is the first step of the EBP process." The first step in EBP is typically forming a well-structured clinical question using frameworks such as PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome). Identifying a general problem is an early stage but is refined into a researchable question before proceeding.