The staff nurse,in the tenth hour of a 12-hour shift,is told by the house supervisor that the nurse replacement will be 2 hours late and the staff nurse must work these extra 2 hours.The nurse is unable to stay over.What is the best action for the nurse to take?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When nurses are concerned that their patients require more care than they can provide,they must report this.If the nurse does not get adequate direction or an answer from the immediate supervisor,then the nurse should follow the chain of command and report it to the person above the supervisor.It would not be advisable or prudent to go home and abandon the patient assignment without adequate staffing or to work a double shift when the nurse has admitted being too tired.Loading up on caffeine may give the nurse immediate energy,but the fatigue may impair judgment and reasoning in patient care.

The Staff Nurse,in the Tenth Hour of a 12-Hour Shift,is