A nurse is observing a newly licensed nurse prepare a medication from an ampule for a client's injection. For which of the following actions by the newly licensed nurse should the nurse intervene?

A. A client who has active bleeding from a puncture wound of the left groin area – Although this client is at risk for significant blood loss, the immediate priority is to assess and address any potential cardiac issues in clients with respiratory distress.

B. A client who has a raised red skin rash on his arms, neck, and face: While a rash may indicate an allergic reaction or infection, it is not immediately life-threatening compared to active bleeding.
C. A client who reports right-sided flank pain and is diaphoretic: Flank pain and diaphoresis could indicate various serious conditions such as kidney stones or myocardial infarction, but active bleeding requires more immediate intervention.

D. A client who reports shortness of breath and left neck and shoulder pain – This client is experiencing symptoms that may indicate a serious cardiac event, such as a myocardial infarction or pulmonary embolism, which requires urgent evaluation and intervention. The combination of shortness of breath and pain in these areas raises the highest concern for potential life-threatening conditions.

A. Determine how current practice will affect future performance within the facility: While this is an important consideration for improving performance, it does not directly involve benchmarking against external standards or practices.
B. Compare practices within the facility against other high-performing facilities: This is the correct answer. Benchmarking involves comparing the organization's practices, processes, and performance metrics against those of other high-performing organizations or industry standards to identify areas for improvement and best practices.
C. Establish work initiatives to promote a positive environment: While promoting a positive work environment is important for organizational success, it is not directly related to benchmarking as control criteria.
D. Use root cause analysis to identify gaps in meeting standards: Root cause analysis is a method used to identify underlying causes of problems or failures. While it may be part of a quality improvement process, it is not specifically related to benchmarking.