Fundamentals of Nursing Q 586
Which of the following incidents requires the nurse to complete an occurrence report?
A. Medication given 30 minutes after scheduled dose time.
B. Patient's dentures lost after transfer.
C. Worn electrical cord discovered on an IV infusion pump.
D. Prescription without the route of administration.
Correct Answer: B. Patient’s dentures lost after transfer
You would need to complete an occurrence report if you suspect your patient’s personal items to be lost or stolen. An incident report also provides vital information the facility needs to decide whether restitution should be made—if personal belongings were lost or damaged, for example. Without proper documentation of the incident, there’s no way to make these important decisions effectively.
Option A: A medication can be administered within a half-hour of the administration time without an error in administration; therefore, an occurrence report is not necessary. An incident report invariably makes its way to risk managers and other administrators, who review it rapidly and act quickly to change any policy or procedure that appears to be a key contributing factor to the incident.
Option C: The worn electrical cord should be taken out of use and reported to the biomedical department. An incident report should be filed whenever an unexpected event occurs. The rule of thumb is that any time a patient makes a complaint, a medication error occurs, a medical device malfunctions, or anyone—patient, staff member, or visitor—is injured or involved in a situation with the potential for injury, an incident report is required.
Option D: The nurse should seek clarification if the provider’s order is missing information; an occurrence report is not necessary. The medical record is patient-focused, and facts pertinent to an unexpected incident will likely be left out. So if a claim were filed and the case proceeded to court, which sometimes occurs years after the event, you or anyone else involved might be hard-pressed to recreate the scene—especially if you consider it to be “minor” at the time. You may not be able to rely on memory alone, but you can count on the incident report to refresh your memory.