A nurse is caring for several clients on a medical-surgical unit. Which of the following client care situations requires the nurse to complete an incident report?
The nurse disagrees with the nurse manager about inadequate staffing.
A staff member has not arrived at the facility to work an assigned shift.
A client tells the nurse that his dentures are missing.
The nurse discovers that the client does not have advanced directives.
The Correct Answer is C
An incident report should be filed whenever an unexpected event occurs. The rule of thumb is that any time a patient makes a complaint, a medication error occurs, a medical device malfunctions, or anyone— patient, staff member, or visitor—is injured or involved in a situation with the potential for injury, an incident report is required ⁴. In this case, the client's missing dentures would be considered a complaint and would require the nurse to complete an incident report.
The other options do not require an incident report. Disagreeing with the nurse manager about inadequate staffing [a], a staff member not arriving at the facility to work an assigned shift [b], and discovering that the client does not have advanced directives [d] are not situations that would require an incident report according to the information provided in my sources.
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Correct Answer is C
Explanation
In this situation, the nurse's failure to administer Mr. Smith's medication on time as ordered, resulting in harm to the patient, could be considered malpractice. Malpractice refers to a failure to meet the standard of care that results in harm to a patient.
Option A refers to legal responsibility for one's actions, but it does not specify the type of wrongdoing.
Option B refers to wrongdoing or misconduct, but it is not specific to the medical profession.
Option D refers to a failure to fulfill one's duties or obligations, but it does not necessarily imply harm to a patient.
Correct Answer is A
Explanation
The nurse should request the client's son, who has a durable power of attorney, to sign the client's informed consent. A durable power of attorney is a legal document that allows an individual to appoint someone to make decisions on their behalf in the event that they become unable to do so. If the client has dementia and is unable to provide informed consent for the procedure, the individual with a durable power of attorney has the legal authority to make decisions on their behalf.
The other individuals are not the appropriate person to sign the client's informed consent. The client's sister [b] and daughter [c] may be involved in the client's care and decision-making, but they do not have the legal authority to provide informed consent on behalf of the client unless they have been designated as such in a legal document. Advance directives [d] are legal documents that allow individuals to communicate their wishes about medical treatment and end-of-life care, but they do not grant decision-making authority to another individual.
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