A nurse manager in the pediatric intensive care unit understands that when providing information to parents of a critically ill child, the following should be performed FIRST:

A. Discharge planning should start as soon as the client is admitted to the facility. Early planning helps anticipate and address the patient’s needs and ensures that all necessary arrangements for post- discharge care are made well in advance.
B. Starting discharge planning 48 hours before discharge is generally too late. Effective discharge planning requires more time to coordinate care, education, and resources. Beginning the process 48 hours before discharge may not allow enough time to address all aspects of the plan adequately, potentially leading to issues in the transition.
C. Waiting for insurance approval before starting discharge planning can lead to delays and may not be in the best interest of the patient. Discharge planning should be initiated based on the patient’s needs rather than insurance coverage. Waiting for approval can also disrupt the timeline for arranging follow- up care and services.
D. Waiting until the discharge order is written is too late for effective discharge planning. By the time the discharge order is written, many elements of the discharge plan should already be in place. Waiting until this point can lead to rushed arrangements and potentially inadequate preparation for the patient’s needs after leaving the facility.

A. Recruiting volunteers might seem like a cost-effective solution, it can be problematic in terms of patient safety and quality of care. Volunteers generally lack the clinical training required to perform medical tasks safely and competently. Their involvement in direct patient care could pose risks to patient safety and may not effectively address staffing shortages in a meaningful way.
B. Developing a centralized staffing pool of float nurses is a strong intervention for addressing staffing shortages while securing patient safety and managing costs. Float nurses are experienced and can be deployed to various units as needed. This strategy ensures that staffing needs are met in a flexible and efficient manner, without compromising patient care. It also helps to balance the workload and prevents burnout among regular staff.
C. Assigning nurses from less busy units to understaffed ones can be effective, but it must be done with consideration for patient acuity. Nurses need to be assigned based on their skills and the needs of the unit to ensure that patient safety is maintained. If nurses from less busy units are assigned to areas with higher acuity patients without proper training or experience, it could compromise patient care and safety.
D. Implementing a mandatory overtime policy can address short-term staffing shortages but often leads to staff dissatisfaction, burnout, and decreased quality of care. Compelling nurses to work extra hours can negatively impact their well-being and job satisfaction, potentially leading to higher turnover rates and increased costs associated with recruiting and training new staff.