Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumEmergency Response Plan

During a severe winter blizzard, a regional medical center loses primary utility power and transitions to its backup generators. The charge nurse on a respiratory step-down unit is managing the immediate aftermath of this power failure. Which actions are appropriate for the nurse to implement? Select all that apply.

  1. Identify clients who are strictly dependent on continuous life-support equipment.Answer
  2. B
    Delegate the evaluation of clients' current respiratory status to unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP).
  3. Verify that all critical life-saving devices are connected to designated red emergency power receptacles.Answer
  4. D
    Initiate immediate evacuation of all bedbound clients to the ground-floor lobby.
  5. Ensure manual resuscitation bags are readily available at the bedside for clients on mechanical ventilation.Answer
  6. F
    Suspend transmission-based isolation precautions temporarily to conserve limited facility supplies.

Answer

The appropriate actions during a facility power failure include identifying clients dependent on life support, verifying that critical equipment is plugged into red emergency outlets, and ensuring manual resuscitation bags are available at the bedside for ventilated clients.
During a utility power outage, the primary focus is maintaining life-sustaining treatments. Identifying clients on life support allows the nurse to prioritize those at highest risk. Verifying that life-saving devices are connected to red emergency outlets ensures these machines draw power from the hospital's backup generators. Furthermore, providing manual resuscitation bags (Ambu bags) at the bedside ensures a manual backup method is instantly accessible if the generator fails or equipment malfunctions.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Assess the immediate threat and secure life-sustaining equipment.
Identify clients on continuous life support and ensure their devices are powered.
Clients dependent on ventilators or continuous infusions are at the highest risk for sudden deterioration when power is lost.
2
Connect essential medical devices to the hospital's backup power grid.
Critical equipment is plugged into the red emergency power receptacles.
Red outlets are specifically wired to the facility's backup generators to provide uninterrupted power during primary utility failures.
3
Prepare manual fail-safes for critical clients.
Manual resuscitation bags are placed at the bedside of ventilated clients.
In the event that the backup generators also fail or take time to start, nurses must be able to manually ventilate dependent clients immediately.
4
Maintain standard nursing protocols and client safety measures.
The nurse continues to perform primary assessments and enforces isolation precautions, rather than inappropriately delegating tasks or evacuating.
An emergency does not negate the need for infection control or proper delegation; sheltering in place is safer than moving clients unless the physical environment is hazardous.

Key Concept

Internal Emergency Response: Utility Failure
Rate this question

Topics

Emergency Response Plan

More questions from this topic