When fire occurs in a patient room, which of the following would be the nurse's priority?

Appeared in: RAK Nursing Officer - 2019

Explanation

The highest priority in a fire is always patient safety, which means removing them from immediate danger.
This action is the first step ('R' for Rescue) in the standard fire emergency protocol, RACE.
All other actions, such as sounding the alarm or extinguishing the fire, are performed only after the patient is safe.

Option B: Extinguishing the fire is the 'E' in the RACE acronym, which comes after rescuing the patient, sounding the alarm, and confining the fire. It should only be attempted for small, manageable fires.
Option C: Sounding the alarm is the second step ('A' in RACE) and should be done immediately after rescuing the patient from the room.
Option D: A nurse should not 'run for help' in the literal sense, as this could be seen as abandoning the patient and the scene. The correct way to summon help is by activating the fire alarm system and using the facility's communication system.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Fire safety protocols in a healthcare setting to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
Knowing and practicing fire safety protocols like RACE is a fundamental responsibility for all healthcare workers to ensure patient and staff safety.
Regular fire drills are mandatory in healthcare facilities to ensure staff can respond quickly and effectively in a real emergency.
What if the fire is between the nurse and the patient? The nurse should not enter the room. Instead, they should immediately sound the alarm and confine the fire by closing the door to the room, then await the fire response team.

How to Approach the Question

Identify the keywords in the question: 'fire', 'patient room', and 'priority'. This indicates the question is about emergency response and requires you to rank actions.
Recall standard safety protocols for fires in healthcare settings. The most common is the RACE acronym.
Analyze the options based on the RACE sequence: R-Rescue, A-Alarm, C-Confine, E-Extinguish.
The first step, 'Rescue', directly corresponds to the highest priority action.
Select the option that matches the first step of the protocol, which is 'Rescue the patient'.
Evaluate the other options to confirm they are lower-priority steps in the RACE sequence.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Q5LaylOrGO098-ayQtrVTJ

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Taylor pp. 281-283, 290-292

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 196-198

Practise the full RAK Nursing Officer - 2019

Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.