A nurse enters a client's room and sees smoke coming from the client's trash can.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Choice A rationale:

Confine the fire by closing doors and windows. While confining the fire is important, the nurse's first priority should be ensuring the safety of the client. Closing doors and windows may help prevent the fire from spreading, but it does not address the immediate danger to the client.

Choice B rationale:

Activate the fire alarm system. Activating the fire alarm is a crucial step to alert other staff members, patients, and visitors about the fire. However, it is not the first action the nurse should take. Ensuring the safety of the client should be the top priority.

Choice C rationale:

Extinguish the fire if possible. Attempting to extinguish the fire can be dangerous for the nurse and may waste precious time. The nurse's safety and the client's safety should be the primary concern. Trying to put out the fire before ensuring the client's safety is not the best course of action.

Choice D rationale:

Rescue the client from immediate danger. This is the correct answer because the nurse's first priority in a fire emergency is to ensure the safety of the client. Rescuing the client from immediate danger should be done before any other actions are taken. The nurse should assess the situation, help the client to safety, and then notify others about the fire and activate the alarm system.