During an evening shift in a long-term care facility, an unregulated care provider threatens a resident with not being fed unless the resident stays quiet. What is the priority action for the practical nurse?

During an evening shift in a long-term care facility, an unregulated care provider threatens a resident with not being fed unless the resident stays quiet. What is the priority action for the practical nurse?

• A. Ask the resident to repeat what the UCP stated.
• B. Make sure that the UCP is not assigned to that resident when future resident assignments are developed.
• C. Remove the UCP from the client situation and report the incident to the nurse manager the next morning.
• D. Determine whether the UCP needs help with the residents.

Answer: (C)

The priority is to protect the resident from imminent harm. When an unregulated care provider threatens to withhold food to keep a resident quiet, abuse is occurring and action must be taken immediately to ensure safety. The practical nurse should remove the UCP from direct contact with the resident to stop the harmful behavior and then report the incident to the nurse manager so a formal investigation and corrective follow-up can be initiated per facility policy. This approach both stops the immediate danger and uses the proper chain of command to safeguard the resident and prevent recurrence. Options that try to gather information without stopping the threat or delay reporting do not address the urgent safety need or the required escalation process.

The priority is to protect the resident from imminent harm. When an unregulated care provider threatens to withhold food to keep a resident quiet, abuse is occurring and action must be taken immediately to ensure safety. The practical nurse should remove the UCP from direct contact with the resident to stop the harmful behavior and then report the incident to the nurse manager so a formal investigation and corrective follow-up can be initiated per facility policy. This approach both stops the immediate danger and uses the proper chain of command to safeguard the resident and prevent recurrence. Options that try to gather information without stopping the threat or delay reporting do not address the urgent safety need or the required escalation process.