The nursing assistant (NA) gathered the linens and sent them to laundry. When helping the resident with oral care, the NA reached for the dentures that were soaking in the denture cup overnight and finds the dentures are missing. The resident reported setting the dentures on the bed to get ready for breakfast. What is the priority action for the NA to take?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The nursing assistant (NA)'s priority action should be to report the event to the nursing supervisor and search through the laundry before it leaves the facility. This demonstrates accountability. Dentures have a tattooed name or number that should be in the resident's record, in case there is more than one pair retrieved when searching through the bags of laundry. If the dentures are not found, the NA should write a lost item report with information about the dentures and send it to the laundry service that is out of the facility. Once that is done, the NA can provide soft foods. It is doubtful the resident will have a back-up pair of dentures.

The Nursing Assistant (NA) Gathered the Linens and Sent Them