Do you know the right answer?

[KarynicaRN]

ok, here is a trick question that i was asked during an intervew for a federal job. what would be your answer? remember, the interviewer knows the answer, but is trying to find out what your answer is...i will tell you the answer after i find out what other responses might be. here is the question:

q: a floor worker aka certified nurse assistant comes to you and states that a resident is not "quite acting right". what would you as the charge nurse do?

using the nursing process, what would you do? i stated i would first assess the resident..vital signs, etc, then check the chart for any previous episodes, check the mar for new medications or reactions to meds, chart all this information, call the doctor if vitals are not wnl,

but there is one other important thing to do. the one thing they(the interviewers) were looking for, i did not say and why did i not think of this???. everyone knows that you do this, but if you are thinking of the residents needs now, you are not thinking of this answer that they, the interviewers, wanted which you wouldn't do until you are ready to leave...my g-d some people must think nurses are dumb.

anyone game? :banghead:

[jjjoy, LPN]

Check back in on the patient later?

[Pepper The Cat, BSN, RN]

Report to the next shift?

Call the family?

Document?

Close your eyes, put your hands over your ears and pretend you didn't see/hear anything and let the next shift deal with it? :)

[mrsraisinkain]

Erased what I put. Nevermind. I don't know.

I said check for UTI but you wouldn't wait til right before you left to do that.

[jadu1106]

hmmm?? maybe ask the cna what the resident was doing that seemed out of the norm, thus coming to you and stating that they weren't quite "acting right?"

maybe chart that the cna told you they weren't "acting right"?

[Biol20fan]

I don't know...maybe find that pt's nurse and tell them to check on their pt?

I'm going to be wracking my brain all day on this one.

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

everyone knows that you do this, but if you are thinking of the residents needs now, you are not thinking of this answer that they, the interviewers, wanted which you wouldn't do until you are ready to leave...my g-d some people must think nurses are dumb.

anyone game? :banghead:

something i wouldn't do until i was ready to leave after doing all that you said...ummm...

grasping at straws here...make sure the call bell is within reach and tell the pt to ring if they need anything or start feeling oddly?

[CyberVulpine]

Hmm, I am thinking it is a federal job, and a question that should be asked that everyone does. Would it be which patient is it?

[oregonchinamom]

How about verify the patient's code status?

[Inquisitive one]

Don't leave the patient alone?

[eltrip]

Wash your hands both before & after assessing the patient?

[GOMER42]

Check labs for electrolyte imbalances?

Check glucose level?

And always ensure that they can maintain a patent airway.