You find a patient on the floor at shift change. She is awake and alert. She is confused now and was not controlled before being found on the floor.

What is your first step in the nursing process in this situation?

This is because impaired nursing can have serious consequences for patients' safety and well-being, and it is your ethical and professional responsibility to take action to ensure patient safety.

Confronting the co-worker directly ( Option d) may not be the best approach, as it could lead to a confrontational situation and may not resolve the issue. Asking your co-worker to perform a sobriety test ( Option a) may also not be appropriate, as you may not be trained or authorized to administer such a test, and it may not be a reliable indicator of impairment. Ignoring the co-worker's behavior ( Option c) is not an appropriate action, as it could potentially harm patients and violate your ethical and professional responsibilities as a nurse.

These patients may require adaptive communication techniques to help them communicate effectively with their healthcare providers. For example, a patient with dysphasia may benefit from the use of visual aids or gestures to help them understand and express themselves. A patient who is deaf may require the use of sign language or other forms of non-verbal communication. A patient who is blind may benefit from the use of tactile or auditory aids to help them communicate.

While patients who have schizophrenia (b) or are elderly (c) may also have communication challenges, these conditions do not necessarily require the use of adaptive communication techniques. It is important for healthcare providers to assess each patient’s individual needs and to provide appropriate support and accommodations to help them communicate effectively.