A nurse is caring for an older adult client who wears hearing aids with detachable ear molds.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take when caring for the hearing aids?

The correct answer is Choice D.

Choice A rationale: Documenting the event in the client’s progress notes is not the most appropriate action in this situation. The client’s progress notes should contain information about the client’s health status and care, not about staff behavior. Furthermore, documenting this incident in the client’s notes could potentially violate the client’s privacy if the notes are accessed by individuals who do not need to know about the incident.

Choice B rationale: Submitting an incident report to the risk manager is not the most appropriate action in this situation. Incident reports are typically used for events that have caused or have the potential to cause harm to a client, such as medication errors or falls. In this case, while the APs’ behavior is inappropriate, it has not caused harm to the client.

Choice C rationale: Informing the client of the APs’ actions is not the most appropriate action in this situation. Doing so could unnecessarily worry or upset the client. The nurse’s role is to advocate for the client and protect their privacy and dignity, which includes not sharing information about inappropriate staff behavior with the client.

Choice D rationale: Telling the APs to stop the conversation is the most appropriate action in this situation. The nurse has a professional responsibility to address inappropriate behavior by other healthcare team members. Discussing a client in a public area, such as the nurses’ station, is a breach of client confidentiality. The nurse should remind the APs of the importance of maintaining client confidentiality and direct them to stop the conversation.

The correct answer is choice b. Charge nurse.

Choice b rationale: The charge nurse is the appropriate personnel to report the incorrect blood glucose monitoring by the assistive personnel. As the nurse in charge of the unit, the charge nurse has the authority and responsibility to address issues related to patient care and ensure that nursing staff, including assistive personnel, are providing care according to facility policies and procedures

Choice a rationale: While the nurse manager is responsible for overseeing the nursing staff and ensuring quality patient care, it is more appropriate to report the incident to the charge nurse first, as they are directly responsible for the unit and can immediately address the issue

Choice c rationale: The risk manager is responsible for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks within the healthcare facility. While the incorrect blood glucose monitoring could be considered a risk, it is not the primary role of the risk manager to address issues related to patient care. The charge nurse is better positioned to address the immediate concern and ensure proper training or corrective action for the assistive personnel.

Choice d rationale: The nurse supervisor is responsible for overseeing and managing nursing staff, similar to the nurse manager. However, the charge nurse is the more appropriate personnel to report the incident to, as they are directly responsible for the unit and can immediately address the issue