During the charge nurse's morning rounds, a client says, "I hope you will take better care of me than the nurse I had last night." What should be the charge nurse's initial response?

Question

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The first step in management issues, just as in nursing care, is assessment. The charge nurse must first determine what happened before deciding the next course of action. The client could have misperceived certain actions (Option B). (Option A) It is important to determine what happened before apologizing for any staff behavior. The charge nurse could issue a "blameless apology" ("I'm sorry you are upset" or "I'm sorry you think you did not receive what you needed last night"). However, the option indicates an apology for the nurse's treatment, which may have been appropriate. The charge nurse needs a description of what occurred in order to take action against misperceptions or inappropriate staff behavior. (Option C) This statement might be true but does not rectify the situation. The client's concern may be related to something, such as tone of voice, not directly related to client load. (Option D) Until the charge nurse understands the client's issue with care the previous night, the nurse cannot realistically say that things will be different or better today. That is false reassurance. Educational objective: When a client complains about staff treatment, the first response should be to assess the client's perceived wrong. The nurse can then determine what follow-up action is needed.

During the Charge Nurse's Morning Rounds, a Client Says, "I