There are several suicidal patients on the psychiatric unit. When meal trays are returned to the kitchen, a serrated-edge knife is missing. The nurse to whom the aide reports this should:
a. Acknowledge the information and be watchful for the remainder of the shift.
b. Ask each of the patients on suicide precautions where the knife is hidden.
c. Report the information to the charge nurse and suggest a unit search.
d. Report the information to security and let them handle the matter.
ANS: C
This is an important safety issue. Although being watchful is appropriate, it is not sufficient to ensure safety in this situation. Assuming that only the patients on suicide precautions would know about the knives is not a proper assumption. Security does not need to be called in at this time, so option d is incorrect. Searching the unit for the missing knife would be the safest option.
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