Question

A nurse has noticed several occasions in the past week when another nurse on the unit seemed drowsy and unable to focus on the issue at hand. Today, she found the nurse asleep in a chair in the break room when she was not on a break. Which of the following actions should the nurse take?

A. The nurse should not alert the American Nurses Association. The state's board of nursing regulates disciplinary action and can revoke a nurse's license for substance use.
B. The nurse should not fill out an incident report. Incident reports are filed to document an accident or unusual occurrence.
C. : Any nurse who notices behavior that could jeopardize
client care or could indicate a substance use disorder has a duty to report the situation immediately to the nurse manager.
D. The nurse should not leave the nurse alone to sleep. Although the nurse is not responsible for solving the problem, she does have a duty to take action since she has observed the problem.

Answer 1

The nurse should report the situation to the nurse manager and ensure patient safety.

Step-by-step explanation:

The nurse should take action and report the situation immediately to the nurse manager (C). The nurse has a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of patients and alerting the nurse manager about the drowsy nurse is the appropriate course of action. Leaving the nurse alone to sleep (D) should not be done since it could jeopardize patient care. Filling out an incident report (B) may be necessary if any unusual occurrences were observed, but it is not the primary action to address the situation. And although the state's board of nursing handles discipline (A), it is still important to report the situation to the nurse manager.