During the shift report, the night charge nurse tells the day charge nurse that the night unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) is totally incompetent. What is the best response for the day charge nurse to give?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Incompetency is a concern for client safety and quality care. The nurse manager is responsible for hiring/firing and setting up additional training times or experiences for staff. The situation should be discussed with the person who has 24/7 responsibility for the unit so that an appropriate response can be given to the night nurse's perceptions (Option D). (Option A) The night nurse can provide task-specific instructions/training, but incompetence implies a global dysfunction beyond minor, on-the-job, intermittent instructions. In addition, other factors could be involved that may be influencing the UAP's behavior, such as personal issues or impairment from substance abuse. It is best to discuss this situation with a higher authority to determine the best approach. (Option B) This response is something the night nurse knows. The need is to decide the next action. The scope of this problem is probably beyond the night nurse's responsibility and authority. (Option C) This response may be true. However, the bottom line is finding out if the UAP's performance is of adequate quality and safe for clients. The amount of effort that the caregiver is expending is not the bottom line. Educational objective: When a caregiver's performance is below the standard of care needed to provide safe and quality care to clients, the appropriate authority should be notified so that the situation can be handled.

During the Shift Report, the Night Charge Nurse Tells the Day