A nurse is teaching a class about infection control to a group of nurses. The nurse should identify which of the following diseases as requiring the implementation of droplet precautions?

A. Fill out an incident report. While completing an incident report is necessary for documentation and quality improvement, it is not the priority action. The nurse must first assess the client's condition to address any immediate risks.
B. Report the incident to the nurse manager. Informing the nurse manager is important for accountability and follow-up, but client safety and assessment come first before escalating the issue to management.
C. Notify the provider. The provider should be informed after the nurse has assessed the client and gathered relevant data such as vital signs. This allows the provider to make informed decisions about further treatment or monitoring.
D. Measure the client's vital signs. Assessing the client is the first priority following a medication error to identify any adverse effects. Vital signs provide immediate data on the client’s physiological status and guide urgent interventions if needed.

A. "I should visually monitor the client continuously when in mechanical restraints." Continuous visual monitoring is required to ensure the client’s safety, monitor for distress or injury, and assess the ongoing need for restraints. This is a key safety standard in the use of mechanical restraints.
B. "I should assess the client's skin integrity every 8 hours while in mechanical restraints." Skin integrity must be assessed much more frequently, typically every 15 to 30 minutes, to prevent injury or pressure-related complications while the client is restrained.
C. "I should expect the provider to evaluate the client within 4 hours of restraint application." For adults, a provider must evaluate the client within 1 hour of the initiation of mechanical restraints. A 4-hour delay does not meet safety or legal standards.
D. "I should ask the provider to write a prescription for mechanical restraints as needed." PRN (as-needed) prescriptions for restraints are not permitted. Each use must be justified, time-limited, and based on the client’s immediate behavior or condition.