A mercury-in-glass thermometer is being used in the extended care facility. While the nurse is taking the client's temperature, the thermometer falls and breaks on the floor without coming in contact with the nurse or client
Which of the following should be the nurse's first action? a. Remove the client from the area.
b. Remove the client's clothing.
c. Wash his or her hands and bathe the client.
d. Notify the environmental services department.
A
The nurse's first action should be to remove the client from an immediate contaminated envi-ronment if no skin contact has occurred.
After removing the client from the area, the nurse should remove any clothing or linen that has been contaminated with mercury, using rubber gloves and placing the material in a plastic gar-bage bag.
The nurse should perform hand hygiene thoroughly after changing any clothing or linen that has been contaminated with mercury. It is not required that the client be bathed unless skin contact with the mercury has occurred. The first action of the nurse in this case is to remove the client from the area.
After first caring for the client, the nurse should then notify the environmental services depart-ment or notify occupational health services to obtain a mercury spill kit.
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