A nurse is providing change-of-shift report to another nurse for a client using the Introduction, Situation, Background, Assessment and Recommendation (ISBARR) communication tool. Which of the following information should the nurse include as part of the situation component of this communication tool?

Explanation:

A. Arrange referral for family therapy to deal with home stressors:

While family therapy may be beneficial for addressing home stressors, it is not the first step when there is a suspicion of physical abuse. The priority in cases of suspected abuse is to ensure the client's safety and to report the suspicion to the appropriate authorities.

B. Follow the agency's guidelines for reporting suspected abuse:

This is the correct action to take first. Nurses are mandated reporters, and they must follow their agency's protocols and legal requirements for reporting suspected abuse. Reporting ensures that the client's situation is investigated promptly, and appropriate interventions are implemented to protect the client.

C. Check the bruises at the next visit to the client's home:

Delaying action and waiting until the next visit to check the bruises is not appropriate in cases of suspected abuse. Immediate action is necessary to address the safety of the client. Suspected abuse should be reported promptly to the relevant authorities for investigation.

D. Institute more frequent visits to the client's home:

Increasing the frequency of visits may not address the immediate safety concerns of the client if abuse is suspected. While increased monitoring may be necessary in certain situations, reporting the suspicion of abuse and initiating appropriate interventions should take precedence.

Explanation:

A. The number of medication errors avoided after the actions were implemented:

This measure assesses the direct impact of the new actions on reducing medication errors. By tracking the number of errors that were avoided after implementing the interventions, the nurse can gauge the effectiveness of the changes in improving medication safety.

B. A comparison of the number of medication errors before and after the actions were implemented:

This measure involves comparing the baseline number of medication errors before implementing the new actions with the number of errors after implementation. It provides a clear comparison to determine if the interventions have led to a reduction in medication errors over time.

C. Results of a study about the time and money required to implement the changes:

While studying the time and financial resources needed to implement changes is important for evaluating feasibility and resource allocation, it does not directly measure the effectiveness of the actions in reducing medication errors.

D. Results of a staff questionnaire that quantifies staff satisfaction with the changes:

Staff satisfaction is an important aspect of change implementation, but it does not serve as a direct measure of the effectiveness of the actions in reducing medication errors. It reflects staff perceptions rather than objective outcomes related to medication safety.