Focuses on the day-to-day operations of the unit.

The correct answer is Choice C.

Choice A rationale: A client who had a blood transfusion and has a blood pressure of 138/76 mm Hg. This client is stable. The blood pressure is within normal range, indicating that the client is not experiencing a transfusion reaction, which could cause hypotension. Therefore, this client is not the highest priority.

Choice B rationale: A client who has skeletal traction for a femur fracture and reports incisional discomfort of 4 on a scale of 0 to 10. While pain management is an important aspect of client care, a pain level of 4 indicates that the client’s pain is manageable. Therefore, this client is not the highest priority.

Choice C rationale: A client who is 4 hours postoperative following a total hip arthroplasty and has a urinary output of 15 mL/hr. This client is showing signs of oliguria, which could indicate a serious complication such as hypovolemia or acute kidney injury. This client is the highest priority because these complications can lead to further serious issues such as shock or end-organ damage if not addressed promptly.

An incident report should be filed whenever an unexpected event occurs. The rule of thumb is that any time a patient makes a complaint, a medication error occurs, a medical device malfunctions, or anyone— patient, staff member, or visitor—is injured or involved in a situation with the potential for injury, an incident report is required ⁴. In this case, the client's missing dentures would be considered a complaint and would require the nurse to complete an incident report.

The other options do not require an incident report. Disagreeing with the nurse manager about inadequate staffing [a], a staff member not arriving at the facility to work an assigned shift [b], and discovering that the client does not have advanced directives [d] are not situations that would require an incident report according to the information provided in my sources.