Final answer:
The nursing student's question about an example of a 'never event' is best answered with the example of a client scheduled for a cholecystectomy having a total abdominal hysterectomy, as it is a clear mistake that should never occur in the medical field.
Step-by-step explanation:
Never Events in Nursing
A “never event” refers to particularly shocking medical errors that should never occur. The best example of a never event provided by the nurse to the nursing student would be A) The client scheduled for a cholecystectomy has a total abdominal hysterectomy. This is because performing the wrong surgical procedure on a patient is a clear-cut example of a preventable and serious error that fits the definition of a never event.
Other options, such as B) The client receives preoperative medication before signing the informed consent, while indicating issues related to informed consent, do not generally fall under the category of never events. Additionally, C) The client receives medication and develops a rash on the trunk of the body, itching, and dyspnea could represent an allergic reaction, which does not necessarily fall under the never event category unless it was due to a preventable error like administering a drug to which the patient was known to be allergic. Lastly, D) The client's failure to receive a regularly scheduled medication, while being a medication error, is not as clear an example of a never event as the wrong surgery.
Never events are serious, largely preventable, and could result in significant harm or death to the patient, and they typically have clear safeguards or procedures to prevent them, such as the timeout protocol to confirm patient identity, surgical site, and procedure before surgery begins.