A nurse is caring for several clients on a medical-surgical unit. Which of the following client care situations requires the nurse to complete an incident report?
The nurse disagrees with the nurse manager about inadequate staffing.
A staff member has not arrived at the facility to work an assigned shift.
A client tells the nurse that his dentures are missing.
The nurse discovers that the client does not have advanced directives.
The Correct Answer is C
An incident report should be filed whenever an unexpected event occurs. The rule of thumb is that any time a patient makes a complaint, a medication error occurs, a medical device malfunctions, or anyone— patient, staff member, or visitor—is injured or involved in a situation with the potential for injury, an incident report is required ⁴. In this case, the client's missing dentures would be considered a complaint and would require the nurse to complete an incident report.
The other options do not require an incident report. Disagreeing with the nurse manager about inadequate staffing [a], a staff member not arriving at the facility to work an assigned shift [b], and discovering that the client does not have advanced directives [d] are not situations that would require an incident report according to the information provided in my sources.
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Naxlex Comprehensive Predictor Exams
Related Questions
Correct Answer is D
Explanation
The correct answer is Choice D.
Choice A rationale: Withdrawing consent is a client’s legal right. No error or unexpected event occurred, so no incident report is required.
Choice B rationale: Preference for shower timing is a routine care adjustment, not an adverse or unusual event requiring documentation.
Choice C rationale: Vomiting may be a side effect, but unless it causes harm or is unexpected, it doesn’t meet incident report criteria.
Choice D rationale: A medical emergency involving a visitor is unexpected and requires documentation for liability, safety, and institutional response tracking.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
When preparing to administer medications, the nurse carefully confirms the drug order and the patient's identity. This adherence to an essential ethical principle is Non-maleficence. Non-maleficencerefers to the principle of "do no harm" and requires healthcare providers to avoid causing harm to their patients.
Option A refers to wrongdoing or misconduct and is not applicable in this situation.
Option C refers to truthfulness and honesty, but it is not the primary principle being demonstrated in this situation.
Option D refers to fairness and equality, but it is not the primary principle being demonstrated in this situation.
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