A practical nurse (PN) enters a client's room and observes an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) forcefully grabbing the client's arm and stating, "If you don't stay still, you will not get any lunch." To protect the client's rights and ensure safety, arrange the following actions the PN should take in the correct priority order.
- 1Step between the UAP and the client to stop the behavior immediately.
- 2Assess the client for any physical injuries or emotional distress.
- 3Notify the charge nurse or nursing supervisor about the UAP's behavior.
- 4Document the objective details of the event in a formal incident report.
Answer
The PN must first intervene to stop the behavior, then assess the client for injury, report the incident to the charge nurse, and finally document the event in an incident report.
When advocating for a client whose rights are being violated (e.g., facing abuse or coercion), the nurse's primary responsibility is client safety. Intervening to stop the abuse must happen first. Once the threat is removed, the nurse assesses the client's physical and emotional status. After the client is stabilized and deemed safe, the nurse follows the chain of command to report the incident to management. Finally, formal documentation is completed via an incident report, which is an administrative task that should never delay direct client care.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Client Rights and Advocacy: Protecting clients from abuse and proper incident reporting sequence