isolation situation

[GingerSue]

This was a multiple choice question:

The nurse is feeding an infant who is in isolation.

Out in the hallway, a toddler falls near the doorway of the room that the nurse is in with the infant. What should the nurse do?

a) put the infant back to bed and go help the toddler

b) remove her gown, wash her hands, then go help the toddler

c) use the call bell in the isolation room to summon assistance

d) stand in the doorway while holding the infant, and shout for help

What are your opinions?

[moongirl]

I would pick C

[GingerSue]

when I thought of C, to use the call bell and summon help,

I remembered working on a pediatric unit, and if it was during

suppertime, there was only one nurse on - no one else on the

unit because the other nurse was gone for her supper break

and with no unit clerk - there's not always someone to call for help

reality

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

My thinking on this is that toddlers fall all the time. It's part of their learning and exploration. Since the nurse is in with a patient who is isolated and nothing has been said about the toddler being injured, then "C" would seem to be the thing to do. Doing "A" would contaminate the toddler since it mentions nothing about the nurse removing her isolation garb. "B" would just take too long. "D" shouting would disrupt the child the nurse was feeding.

[GingerSue]

I agree that to do A would result in contamination of the toddler

And D is not appropriate re: shouting

So it's between helping the toddler after removing gown and washing hands or summoning some one else with the call bell

(but there isn't always someone else around on the unit - so it seems that it is a question of the nurse going to help the toddler, or staying with the infant {who could be placed into his/her bed safely} and waiting for someone else to respond to the call bell)

Would anyone choose going to help the toddler after removing gown and washing hands?

[Daytonite, BSN, RN]

(but there isn't always someone else around on the unit - so it seems that it is a question of the nurse going to help the toddler, or staying with the infant {who could be placed into his/her bed safely} and waiting for someone else to respond to the call bell)

You cannot read these kinds of assumptions into the answer choices. First of all, if there is a nursing principle or law on the books to back the answer choice up then everyone is going to know that this is definitely a possible answer. On the other hand, without a nursing principle or law on the books, you are basing your thinking on common sense. Nothing wrong with common sense, but my experience and common sense might be very different than yours or someone else's, so it would be unfair to base an answer upon it. I could legitimately argue a case against it based on my experience and common sense.

[MikeyJ, RN]

I agree with Daytonite. You cannot make assumptions while doing nursing questions. When doing an NCLEX type question, never say to yourself, "well what if..." because you will probably end up getting it wrong. Answer the question with the information given with making assumptions or adding other information not there.

I would pick 'C'.

[GingerSue]

even if there are other staff on the unit - somewhere -

what is the appropriate thing to do?

[MikeyJ, RN]

even if there are other staff on the unit - somewhere -

what is the appropriate thing to do?

In a real life situation, if no one noticed the toddler fall, I would push the call button because someone would come and see the toddler had fallen. A toddler who falls isn't considered an emergency -- toddlers trip and fall all the time.

[cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN]

My thinking on this is that toddlers fall all the time. It's part of their learning and exploration.

Haha, this was my first thought too!

[MistiroseRN]

You cannot read these kinds of assumptions into the answer choices. First of all, if there is a nursing principle or law on the books to back the answer choice up then everyone is going to know that this is definitely a possible answer. On the other hand, without a nursing principle or law on the books, you are basing your thinking on common sense. Nothing wrong with common sense, but my experience and common sense might be very different than yours or someone else's, so it would be unfair to base an answer upon it. I could legitimately argue a case against it based on my experience and common sense.

Before I read your response I thought the same thing. I was told by my instructor my first year "don't read into the question and add what if's." Once I applied this my test scores went up. We were also told that NCLEX tests book knowledge not actual experience and I think you just gave us the reason for that.

[kasia2]

This was a multiple choice question:

The nurse is feeding an infant who is in isolation.

Out in the hallway, a toddler falls near the doorway of the room that the nurse is in with the infant. What should the nurse do?

a) put the infant back to bed and go help the toddler

b) remove her gown, wash her hands, then go help the toddler

c) use the call bell in the isolation room to summon assistance

d) stand in the doorway while holding the infant, and shout for help

What are your opinions?

Good question, I'm torned between B and C, but then again what about if the nurse is the only one on the floor, but I still think the priority for the nurse is to go see what is wrong with the toddler, the isolation child might be fed later is not like it is life-threatening situation, on the other hand what about if the toodler hurt themselves, so what is the right answer?