A registered nurse (RN) in a long-term care facility assesses a nonverbal older adult client with advanced Alzheimer's disease. The RN observes bilateral, patterned fingertip bruising on the inner aspects of the client's upper arms. The unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) assigned to the client states, "The client gets highly aggressive during perineal care, so I have to grip their arms tightly to finish the task." Which of the following is the priority action for the RN?
- Separate the UAP from the client immediately and report the suspected abuse to the designated state regulatory agency.Cevap
- BComplete an internal facility incident report and defer the decision to contact external authorities to the nursing director.
- CReview the client's medication administration record to determine if the bruising is a physiological response to anticoagulant therapy.
- DProvide immediate remediation to the UAP regarding gentle handling techniques and observe a return demonstration.
Cevap
The correct action is to separate the UAP from the client immediately and report the suspected abuse to the designated state regulatory agency.
When physical abuse is suspected, especially involving a vulnerable, nonverbal adult, the nurse's primary responsibility is to secure the immediate safety of the client by separating them from the suspected perpetrator. Concurrently, the nurse has a strict, individual legal mandate to report the reasonable suspicion of abuse to the appropriate external protective agency. Waiting for conclusive proof or an internal investigation is a violation of this legal duty.
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Anahtar Kavram
Mandatory Reporting and Immediate Client Safety