A client smoking in his bathroom has dropped a cigarette butt into a wastepaper basket, which begins to smolder. Which of the following actions is the nurse’s priority?

A. Close the fire doors on the unit:
Closing fire doors is a safety measure to contain smoke and flames, but activating the fire alarm is the priority to ensure a swift and comprehensive response.

B. Use a fire extinguisher to put out the fire:
While using a fire extinguisher is an important action, it should come after activating the fire alarm. The fire alarm alerts everyone to the emergency, and then the appropriate personnel can use fire extinguishers as needed.

C. Move any clients in the immediate vicinity:

Priority action during a fire: The priority in any fire situation is to ensure the safety of individuals in the immediate area. The acronym RACE is commonly used in healthcare settings to outline the steps to take in the event of a fire:

• Rescue anyone in immediate danger.
• Alarm: Activate the fire alarm.
• Contain the fire by closing doors.
• Extinguish the fire if it is small and safe to do so, or Evacuate the area if necessary.

D. Activate the fire alarm
This is also important but comes after rescuing or moving clients in immediate danger.

A. Place the client in a private room with a special ventilation system.
The primary method to prevent the transmission of tuberculosis is to place the client in a negative pressure room with adequate ventilation. This helps to reduce the risk of airborne transmission of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria.

B. Modify the protocol for donning and removing personal protective equipment before entering or leaving the client’s room:
Standard precautions should be followed, but the primary emphasis is on airborne precautions due to the potential for airborne transmission of TB. Modifications to donning and removing PPE are not the main focus.

C. Have staff and visitors wear gowns, masks, and gloves while in the client’s room:
Airborne precautions are more specific for suspected active tuberculosis. While gowns, masks, and gloves may be used for other infectious diseases, the key precaution for TB is a private room with negative pressure ventilation.

D. Assign the client to a room with other clients who require droplet precautions:
Tuberculosis is primarily transmitted through airborne particles, not droplets. Placing the client in a room with droplet precautions is not sufficient to prevent the spread of tuberculosis.