Ethics & Issues in Contemporary Nursing Related

Review Ethics & Issues in Contemporary Nursing related questions and content

A nurse learns in orientation that an incident report does not "blame" anyone but concisely documents the events leading up to an occurrence. Which events would warrant completion of an incident report? (select all that apply)

  • A. The client is crying and distraught when he learns of a diagnosis of cancer.
  • B. An intravenous antibiotic given preoperatively does not infuse because of a faulty pump.
  • C. The nurse is unable to carry out orders written by the specialist because of illegibility.
  • D. A client falls while in the shower, although she was told not to get up alone.
Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B because it involves a medical error that could potentially harm the patient. An incident report is necessary to document such events for quality improvement and patient safety. Choice A does not involve a preventable adverse event, so it does not require an incident report. Choice C is related to communication issues and can be resolved without an incident report. Choice D involves a patient fall, which is a reportable event, but the client was informed not to get up alone, making it less urgent for an incident report compared to a medication error.