Question

A nurse manager is reviewing the actions a staff nurse took when they observed smoke coming from a wastebasket in a client's room. The nurse manager should verify that the nurse acted appropriately when they performed which of the following actions first?

a) Activated the fire alarm
b) Called the code blue team
c) Removed the client from the room
d) Extinguished the fire

Answer 1

The nurse acted appropriately by first removing the client from the room when noticing smoke, following the 'RACE' protocol for fire emergencies, ensuring patient safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

In emergency situations, such as discovering smoke coming from a wastebasket in a client's room, the nurse's first priority is to ensure the safety of the patient. According to the 'RACE' acronym used in fire safety, which stands for Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish/Evacuate, the appropriate first action of the nurse would be to remove the client from the room (Rescue). This action would ensure that the patient is out of immediate danger. After relocating the patient, the nurse should then activate the fire alarm (Alarm), which may be followed by efforts to contain and extinguish the fire if safe to do so.