A nurse is part of a task force planning to audit a facility's nursing units concerning adherence to hand-hygiene protocols.
Which of the following steps should the task force take first?

Proceed with provision of medical care.

• A. Contact the facility's ethics committee: This is incorrect because it is not an urgent action and it does not address the client's immediate needs. The ethics committee can be consulted later if there are ethical dilemmas or conflicts regarding the client's care.
• B. Obtain consent from the client's employer: This is incorrect because it is not a valid source of consent. The employer has no legal or ethical authority to make decisions for the client, unless they are also a designated surrogate or proxy.
• C. Limit care to comfort measures: This is incorrect because it does not meet the standard of care for an emergency situation. The nurse has a duty to provide life-saving interventions for a client who is unconscious and requires emergency medical procedures, unless there is evidence of a valid advance directive that states otherwise.
• D. Proceed with provision of medical care: This is correct because it follows the principle of implied consent, which assumes that a reasonable person would consent to emergency treatment if they were able to do so. The nurse should document the circumstances and continue to search for family members or other sources of consent.

• The correct answer is Choice A.

  Choice A rationale: Forming a committee of staff members to investigate current staffing issues is the first step the nurse manager should take. This is because it is important to understand the root cause of the problem before implementing any changes. By forming a committee, the nurse manager can gather different perspectives and insights from the staff members who are directly affected by the staffing issues. This will help in identifying the specific problems and coming up with effective solutions. Furthermore, involving the staff in the decision-making process can increase their acceptance of the changes and reduce resistance.

  Choice B rationale: Providing support to staff members who are resistant to staffing changes is an important step, but it should not be the first action. Before providing support, the nurse manager needs to understand the specific issues causing the resistance. This can be achieved by forming a committee of staff members to investigate the staffing issues.

  Choice C rationale: Scheduling a staff meeting to present the different options to staff members is a crucial step in the process. However, this should be done after the nurse manager has a clear understanding of the staffing issues and has identified potential solutions. Presenting options without first understanding the problem may lead to ineffective solutions and increased resistance from staff members.

  Choice D rationale: Giving the staff members advance written notice of staffing changes is a necessary step to ensure transparency and to give staff members time to adjust. However, this should be done after the nurse manager has identified the staffing issues, explored potential solutions, and decided on the changes to be implemented.