A client who has back pain presents to an emergency department and is provided a prescription for oxycodone. A staff nurse tells the charge nurse that they think the client is seeking drugs and is not actually in distress. Which of the following responses should the charge nurse make?

Choice A rationale:

The nurse should not include the client's dressing change schedule in the verbal report when transferring care to the medical-surgical unit. While this information is important for the client's care, it is not a priority for the receiving unit to know during the immediate transfer. Dressing change schedules can vary based on the type of surgery and wound healing progress, and the medical-surgical unit will focus on the client's overall condition.

Choice B rationale:

The client's level of consciousness is a critical piece of information to include in the verbal report when transferring care. Changes in level of consciousness can indicate neurological deterioration or potential complications, especially after a major surgery like open heart surgery. This information helps the receiving nurses monitor the client's condition closely and respond appropriately if any deterioration occurs.

Choice C rationale:

While reporting the client's vital signs from the previous shift is important, it might not be the most relevant information during the immediate transfer from the postoperative unit to the medical-surgical unit. Vital signs can change rapidly, and the receiving nurses will assess the client's current vital signs upon arrival. Therefore, this information is not the priority for the verbal report.

Choice D rationale:

The client's occupation is not a critical piece of information to include in the verbal report during a transfer from the postoperative unit to the medical-surgical unit. The primary focus of the transfer report should be on the client's immediate postoperative condition, potential complications, and any other information directly related to their current medical status.

The correct answers are Choices A and C.

Choice A rationale: Modeling positivity leverages social learning and transformational leadership, sets constructive norms, reduces uncertainty, and promotes psychological safety, facilitating Lewin’s change movement and sustained adoption of bariatric workflows and equipment safely.

Choice B rationale: Redirecting negativity suppresses concerns, undermines just culture, and blocks feedback necessary for Lewin’s unfreezing, reducing trust, psychological safety, and data to address barriers, thereby entrenching covert resistance to change process.

Choice C rationale: Engaging supportive peers utilizes diffusion of innovations and social proof; peer dialogue surfaces practical barriers, shares tacit knowledge, normalizes change behaviors, and increases motivation and adherence to bariatric care practices.

Choice D rationale: Suggesting transfers is coercive and punitive, contradicting transformational leadership and just culture, damages morale and retention, bypasses root-cause analysis, and fails to address legitimate change barriers or build sustainable engagement.

Choice E rationale: Reprimanding resistance pathologizes normal adaptation, undermines psychological safety and voice, increases turnover intentions, entrenches oppositional behavior, and conflicts with evidence-based change management; reserve discipline for misconduct, not expressed skepticism alone.