Question

A nurse is a member of an interdisciplinary team that uses critical pathways. According to the critical pathway, on day 2 of the hospital stay, the patient should be sitting in the chair. It is day 3, and the patient cannot sit in the chair. What should the nurse do?

a.Add this data to the problem list.

b.Focus chart using the DAR format.

c.Document the variance in the patient's record.

d.Report a positive variance in the next interdisciplinary team meeting.

Answer 1

The nurse should document the variance in the patient's record when they do not meet the expected milestone in the critical pathway and communicate this to the interdisciplinary team to reassess and modify the care plan.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a patient on a critical pathway is unable to meet a specific objective, such as sitting in a chair by day 2, the nurse should take several steps to manage this variance. The appropriate action in this case is to document the variance in the patient's record. This is crucial for maintaining an accurate account of patient care and for informing the interdisciplinary team about the patient's progress against expected milestones.

Additionally, after documenting the variance, the nurse should communicate this information to the interdisciplinary team. These actions align with collaborative and evidence-based patient care. It ensures that every member of the care team is aware of the patient's status and can contribute to a revised plan of care accordingly.