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Question

Difficulty: EasyAccident, Error, and Injury Prevention

A practical nurse discovers a small fire burning in a client's bedside wastebasket. The client is currently in bed nearby. In what order should the nurse perform the following actions according to standard fire safety protocols?

  1. 1Relocate the client to a safe area away from the fire.
  2. 2Activate the facility fire alarm system.
  3. 3Close the door to the client's room.
  4. 4Attempt to put out the fire using an appropriate extinguisher.

Answer

The correct order is to first relocate the client to safety, then activate the fire alarm, next close the door to the room, and finally attempt to extinguish the fire.
The standard sequence for responding to a fire in a healthcare facility is guided by the RACE mnemonic: Rescue clients in immediate danger, Alarm (activate the facility's fire response system), Confine the fire by closing doors, and Extinguish the fire if it is small and safe to do so.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Relocate the client to a safe area away from the fire.
The client is protected from immediate harm.
Life safety and client protection (Rescue) is always the highest priority in any emergency situation.
2
Activate the facility fire alarm system.
The emergency response team and fire department are formally notified.
Once immediate life safety is secured, sounding the alarm (Alarm) ensures that appropriate, facility-wide help arrives quickly.
3
Close the door to the client's room.
The fire and smoke are contained to the room of origin.
Closing doors (Confine) restricts the oxygen supply to the fire and protects the rest of the facility from dangerous smoke spread.
4
Attempt to put out the fire using an appropriate extinguisher.
The small fire is addressed.
Only after the previous steps are completed should staff attempt to extinguish the fire (Extinguish), and only if they are not placing themselves in danger.

Key Concept

RACE Fire Response Protocol
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Topics

Accident, Error, and Injury Prevention

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