A nurse is caring for a client who requires contact precautions.
Which action should the nurse take with this client?

Choice A rationale:

A suffix is a word part that is added to the end of a root word to modify its meaning. For example, in the medical term "cardiologist," the suffix '-ologist' means a specialist or expert. A suffix is placed at the end of a root word or a combining form to create a specific medical term.

Choice B rationale:

A word root is the foundational part of a medical term. It contains the core meaning of the term and is not usually modified by prefixes or suffixes. For instance, in the term "cardiology," 'cardi-' is the word root, representing the heart. Word roots provide the essential meaning of the medical term.

Choice C rationale:

A prefix is a word part that is added to the beginning of a root word or a combining form to modify its meaning. Prefixes are important in medical terminology as they indicate locations, numbers, or time. For example, in the term "prehypertension," the prefix 'pre-' means before. Prefixes are added at the beginning of a word.

Choice D rationale:

A combining form is a word root combined with a vowel (usually 'o') that can be joined with other word parts to create a medical term. Combining forms are used as a connector to join a root word and a suffix or another root word. For example, in the term "gastritis," 'gastr-' is the combining form, representing the stomach. Combining forms facilitate the construction of complex medical terms.

The correct answer is Choice C.

Choice A rationale: Using a fire extinguisher is part of containment, but it follows evacuation. Attempting to extinguish before removing clients violates RACE protocol and risks patient injury from smoke or electrical fire.

Choice B rationale: Activating the fire alarm initiates emergency response but comes after client rescue. Per RACE (Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish), client safety is prioritized before system-wide alerts.

Choice C rationale: Moving clients to safety is the first step in fire response. It aligns with the “Rescue” phase of RACE, ensuring immediate protection from smoke inhalation, electrical hazards, and fire spread.

Choice D rationale: Confine by closing doors and windows is part of containment, which follows rescue and alarm activation. It helps limit fire spread but is not the initial priority in patient-centered emergencies.