Question

A licensed practical nurse (LPN) who typically works in the neonatal intensive care unit is being cross-trained to work with postpartum clients. The charge nurse is busy with a delivery and assigns her to stock rooms, which is typically the responsibility of a nurse's aid. As she enters a client's room, the LPN notices that a client looks pale and shaky. Which action should she take?

a. Continue stocking rooms and report later
b. Assess the client's vital signs and notify the charge nurse
c. Assist the client with ambulation
d. Offer the client a snack and observe

Answer 1

The appropriate action for the LPN upon noticing a client looking pale and shaky is to assess her vital signs and immediately notify the charge nurse as patient care takes precedence over non-clinical tasks.

Step-by-step explanation:

When the LPN notices that a client looks pale and shaky, her priority should be to assess client safety and inform a registered nurse. Therefore, the action she should take is b. Assess the client's vital signs and notify the charge nurse. As an LPN with clinical knowledge, especially in a sensitive area such as the neonatal intensive care unit, she understands that a pale and shaky appearance could be indicative of a significant health issue that requires immediate attention. An LPN's role often includes monitoring and reporting on patient conditions, and while stocking rooms is certainly a non-clinical task that can be performed, patient care always comes first.