The hospital nurse coming on duty notifies the unit of a delay due to a motor vehicle accident. The off-going nurse has an important appointment and must leave on time. How should the off-going nurse handle the situation?

Question

The hospital nurse coming on duty notifies the unit of a delay due to a motor vehicle accident.  The off-going nurse has an important appointment and must leave on time.  How should the off-going nurse handle the situation?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The off-going nurse must ensure that there is another registered nurse responsible for the care of the clients, if this is not done then abandonment has occurred. A deliberate report must be given using standardized format for continuity of care. During the hand-off, objective data should be provided about the clients' current status and response to treatment to enable planning care. The off-going nurse should let the charge nurse know as this individual is responsible for the staffing of the unit and would have the authority to try different options, such as asking another nurse on the unit to stay or notifying the main nursing office to obtain a nurse from another unit. In addition, there is no established time frame for the incoming nurse's actual arrival; a significant amount of time could pass before this inadequate staffing issue is resolved. (Option A) This general vague oversight is an inadequate report and transfer of responsibility to the other nurse. (Option B) Tape recording a report is a legitimate method of communication as long as there is an opportunity to ask questions. However, this does not resolve the issue of procuring a nurse to take over responsibility for the clients' care. (Option D) Although this would help transmit essential information, it does not accomplish procurement of another nurse to be responsible for the clients' current care. Educational objective: In a facility with 24-hour care, prior to leaving, an off-going nurse must have another nurse take over the responsibility for the clients' care and give an appropriate report for these clients. Leaving clients without these elements can be deemed to be an act of abandonment.

The Hospital Nurse Coming on Duty Notifies the Unit of a Delay