Final answer:
A nurse should protect patient confidentiality by securing any sensitive documents found unattended, notify a supervisor, and follow proper protocol for disposing or returning the report. This is to be in compliance with privacy laws and hospital policies.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a nurse finds the report printout from the last shift in the bathroom, the nurse should ensure the confidentiality and privacy of the information contained within the report. Because such reports could contain sensitive patient information which is protected by laws such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the nurse should retrieve the papers immediately to prevent unauthorized access to patient information. The proper course of action would be to notify a supervisor of the breach of privacy, securely dispose of the report if it's no longer needed, or return it to a secure location if it is still in use. Additionally, the nurse might have to review established protocols or report the incident to a compliance officer depending on the hospital's policies.
The steps a nurse should verbally review with the team before finishing a procedure are important for patient safety and include confirming the name of the procedure, ensuring needle, sponge, and instrument counts are complete, making sure specimens are correctly labeled with the patient's name, and noting any issues with equipment that needs to be addressed. Errors in a report should be corrected promptly after being identified by a supervisor, demonstrating a commitment to accuracy and accountability in patient care.