To assist a client brought to the emergency department as a victim of a gunshot wound, the nurse should:
1. Bathe the client and provide a clean gown.
2. Preserve the chain of evidence.
3. Ask the client who shot him.
4. Ask the client where the weapon is.
2. Preserve the chain of evidence.
Rationale:
Because the majority of gunshot wounds require an investigation by law enforcement, nurses working in emergency departments and trauma centers should be familiar with their agency's protocols for maintaining evidence required by law enforcement. Often, law enforcement does not want the victim's hands or the area around the victim's wounds cleansed. Clothes and personal items are often wanted as evidence. The nurse should not bathe the client and provide a clean gown. The nurse should not ask the client who shot him or where the weapon is. The nurse should preserve the chain of evidence.
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