A nurse is reinforcing teaching about home safety for a client who has a history of falls.
Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the instructions?

The correct answer is choice C: Move any clients to safety.

Choice C rationale: The nurse's priority is always client safety. In the event of an electrical issue that poses a potential risk, such as smoke or fire, the nurse should first ensure that any clients in the area are moved to a safe location. This aligns with the widely-used RACE acronym for fire response (Rescue, Alarm, Confine, Extinguish), which highlights the importance of removing individuals from danger before attending to other aspects of fire safety.

Choice A rationale: Using a fire extinguisher is an appropriate action to take when dealing with a small, manageable fire. However, in this scenario, ensuring client safety takes precedence over attempting to extinguish the source of the smoke. This is also in line with the RACE mnemonic, which emphasizes the importance of prioritizing evacuation.

Choice B rationale: Activating the fire alarm is an important step to alert others in the building about a potential fire and the need for evacuation. However, the priority remains client safety, so moving clients to a safe location should be the nurse's initial response, following the RACE acronym.

In summary, the nurse's priority action when encountering an electrical hazard is to move clients to safety. After ensuring client safety, the nurse can then activate the fire alarm and, if trained to do so, use a fire extinguisher on the outlet if necessary. This approach aligns with the RACE mnemonic, which serves as a guideline for fire response.

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.