A nurse enters a client’s room and sees smoke coming from the client’s trash can.
Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?
A.
Confine the fire by closing doors and windows.
B.
Activate the fire alarm system.
C.
Extinguish the fire if possible.
D.
Rescue the client from immediate danger.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct answer is D. Rescue the client from immediate danger.
In the event of a fire in a healthcare setting, the safety of the patients and staff is the top priority. The initial response should follow the RACE protocol: Rescue, Alarm, Contain, and Extinguish. The first action, “Rescue,” emphasizes removing individuals from danger. If a client is in the vicinity of the fire, the nurse must ensure that they are evacuated to a safe area away from smoke and flames.
After securing the safety of the client, the next steps would involve activating the fire alarm system (B) to alert others in the facility about the emergency. This action ensures that additional personnel can respond appropriately and take necessary measures to contain the fire.
Following the activation of the alarm, the nurse should then focus on confining the fire by closing doors and windows (A), which helps to prevent the spread of smoke and flames, limiting potential harm to other clients and staff. The last step is to extinguish the fire if it is safe to do so (C). However, the nurse should only attempt this if the fire is small and manageable, and they have been trained to use fire extinguishers properly.
In summary, the immediate priority is the safety of the client and ensuring they are out of harm’s way. Following the RACE protocol helps to organize responses during a fire emergency effectively, ensuring that the nurse addresses life safety first before dealing with the fire itself.