The workmen cause an electrical fire when installing a new piece of eq

The workmen cause an electrical fire when installing a new piece of equipment in the intensive care unit. A client is on a ventilator in the next room. The first action the nurse should take is to:

1. Pull the fire alarm
2. Attempt to extinguish the fire
3. Call the physician to obtain orders to take the client off the ventilator
4. Use an Ambu-bag and remove the client from the area

ANSWER

ANS: 4
If there is a fire, and the client is on life support, the nurse should maintain the client’s respiratory status manually with an Ambu-bag and move the client away from the fire. The first action of the nurse is not to pull the fire alarm. The workmen could do that. The workman can attempt to ex-tinguish the fire. The nurse should attend to the client who is closest to the fire in the next room. The nurse should not call the doctor to obtain orders to take the client off the ventilator because this will take valuable time. The client needs to be moved away from the fire, and the source of oxygen needs to be discontinued, as it is combustible. The client will need to be manually resus-citated with an Ambu-bag.