Certified Professional in Patient Safety (CPPS) Practice Exam

As the charge nurse, what should you do first when a nurse needs to leave for an emergency at 11 PM?

1. Assess if this is an established pattern for the nurse.

2. Take on the nurse's patients for the rest of the shift.

3. Reassign the patients to the most senior nurse.

4. Call a huddle to reassign resources and plan.

The correct answer is: Call a huddle to reassign resources and plan.

In the scenario where a nurse needs to leave for an emergency at 11 PM, calling a huddle to reassign resources and plan is the best course of action. This approach fosters immediate communication among the nursing staff and allows for an organized response to the situation. Through a huddle, the charge nurse can quickly gather all relevant nursing personnel to assess the current situation, manage patient needs, and discuss the best strategies for reassigning patients in a collaborative manner. This is particularly important in a high-pressure environment like healthcare, where patient safety and adequate coverage are critical. A huddle enables the team to strategize about workload distribution, taking into consideration each nurse's strengths and current patient assignments, ultimately ensuring that all patients continue to receive appropriate and timely care despite the sudden staffing change. Engaging the team in this way also enhances communication and can boost morale, as staff feels involved in decision-making processes rather than having assignments handed down unilaterally. This collaborative approach is essential for maintaining patient safety and operational efficiency in an unpredictable environment, making it the most effective immediate response.