Question

The fire alarm goes off while the charge nurse is receiving the shift report. What action should the charge nurse implement first?

a.Instruct the client’s family member to stay in the visitor waiting area until further notice
b.Tell the staff to keep all clients and visitors in the client rooms with the doors closed.
c.Direct the nursing staff to evacuate the clients using the stairs in a calm and orderly manner.
d.Call the hospital operator to determine if the is indeed a real emergency or a fire drill.

Answer 1

The charge nurse's initial response to a fire alarm should be to call the hospital operator to ascertain if it's a real emergency or a drill, before taking further action.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a fire alarm goes off, the charge nurse must assess the situation swiftly to ensure the safety of all individuals. The priority is to verify the nature of the alarm. Hence, the first action the charge nurse should implement is to call the hospital operator to determine if the alert is for a real emergency or merely a fire drill.

This is essential before any evacuation or containment procedures such as instructing clients or visitors are initiated. In case of a real emergency, subsequent actions would include directing the staff according to the hospital's fire protocol, which often encompasses moving people to safe areas, closing doors to contain smoke and fire, and administering first aid if necessary.