Level: Advanced
Difficulty: Hard
Subtopic: Delegation rules
NCLEX: A 64-year-old client on a medical-surgical unit is being evaluated for a busy medical-surgical assignment. Assess…
Ethics, legal nursing, delegation, prioritization Management of Care
Case Study
A 64-year-old client on a medical-surgical unit is being evaluated for a busy medical-surgical assignment. Assessment data include family requests lab results by phone without verified authorization. Which nursing action is the priority to keep the client safe?
Question
A. Stay with the client, remove immediate hazards, reassess, and escalate per facility safety protocol.
B. Leave the client alone to promote independence while finishing charting.
C. Apply the first intervention in the policy manual without a current assessment.
D. Apply restraints without assessing less restrictive safety options first.
B. Leave the client alone to promote independence while finishing charting.
C. Apply the first intervention in the policy manual without a current assessment.
D. Apply restraints without assessing less restrictive safety options first.
Rationale
Correct answer: A. Stay with the client, remove immediate hazards, reassess, and escalate per facility safety protocol.
Rationale: Client safety requires direct assessment, hazard reduction, and timely escalation rather than assumptions, abandonment, or policy-only actions.
Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.
Rationale: Client safety requires direct assessment, hazard reduction, and timely escalation rather than assumptions, abandonment, or policy-only actions.
Hint: Apply ABCs, client stability, and NCSBN clinical judgment steps before choosing an intervention.