Final answer:
The quality assurance officer should focus on the competency of nursing care when addressing the high number of negative client responses in a nursing unit. This includes ensuring adherence to safety protocols and communication during procedures.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the quality assurance officer notes a higher-than-usual number of negative client responses about nursing care in a unit, the aspect that should be paid particular attention to is competency. Competency encompasses a wide range of skills and attributes including technical ability, adherence to safety protocols, communication skills, and the correct labeling and management of patient information and specimens. The scenario where the nurse reviews items aloud with the team is a practice that can help ensure that procedures are correctly followed and nothing is overlooked. Issues brought up by clients may reflect that certain competencies are not being met consistently, such as correct labeling of specimens or addressing equipment issues.
Moreover, to improve the competency levels, the quality assurance officer can benchmark against the best practices where a comprehensive checklist is used during procedures, which fosters teamwork and communication among surgeons, nurses, and anesthesia professionals. A unit with good benchmarking practices exhibits fewer negative outcomes and a more positive client response, making it a key area for the quality assurance officer to focus on in addressing the identified issue.