A practical nurse (PN) enters a client's room and discovers an electrical outlet sparking, which has ignited a nearby privacy curtain. The client is bedbound and receiving continuous oxygen therapy. Arrange the following actions in the priority order the PN should perform them.
- 1Transfer the client to a wheelchair and move them out of the room to a safe area.
- 2Activate the facility's manual fire alarm pull station.
- 3Close the door to the client's room and shut off the zone oxygen valve.
- 4Retrieve a Class C fire extinguisher and pull the safety pin.
- 5Aim the extinguisher nozzle at the base of the flames and squeeze the handle.
Answer
The correct priority sequence is: 1) Transfer the client out of the room, 2) Activate the fire alarm, 3) Close the door and shut off oxygen, 4) Retrieve the extinguisher and pull the pin, 5) Aim at the base of the fire and squeeze the handle.
Emergency fire response in a healthcare setting is governed by the RACE acronym: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish. The PN must first Rescue the bedbound client by moving them to a safe area. Second, the PN must activate the Alarm to summon help. Third, the PN must Contain the fire by closing the door and shutting off the oxygen valve. Finally, the PN can attempt to Extinguish the fire using the PASS technique: Pull the pin, Aim at the base, Squeeze the handle, and Sweep from side to side.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Emergency Fire Response (RACE and PASS protocols)