A nurse is making a home visit when a fire starts in the client's kitchen trash can. The client has a fire extinguisher. The nurse should take which actions to properly operate the fire extinguisher? Select all that apply.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A small fire can quickly become very dangerous. During an emergency situation, such as a fire, anxiety can narrow a person's focus, causing hesitation or difficulty in responding to the situation, especially when operation of unfamiliar equipment (eg, fire extinguisher) is involved. The mnemonic PASS is often used to help people remember the steps used in operating a fire extinguisher: P - Pull the pin on the handle to release the extinguisher's locking mechanism A - Aim the spray at the base of the fire S - Squeeze the handle to release the contents/extinguishing agent S - Sweep the spray from side to side until the fire is extinguished (Option C) The extinguisher does not need to be shaken before use, and doing so would delay extinguishing the fire. Educational objective: PASS is a mnemonic to help people remember the steps used in operating a fire extinguisher: P - Pull the pin; A - Aim the spray at the base of the fire; S - Squeeze the handle; and S - Sweep the spray.

A Nurse Is Making a Home Visit When a Fire