When an Incident Report Is Required

Safety & Infection Control · Question from the ATI PN Fundamentals 2023 Proctored Exam study set

Correct answers:

• A client becomes disoriented and falls out of bed
• A client's visitor becomes dizzy and faints in the client's room
• A client receives burns from a heating pad

Why this is the answer

An incident report is completed for any unusual occurrence involving a client, visitor, or staff injury, or a deviation from expected care, regardless of who is involved or how minor it seems.

The bigger concept

Incident (occurrence) reports are quality-improvement tools, not admissions of guilt. File one for any unexpected event affecting a client, visitor, or staff member — falls, medication errors, equipment injuries, needlesticks — even when no harm resulted. Complete it promptly and objectively, do not reference it in the client's medical record, and chart only the facts of the event and the care given in the client's chart.

Related Safety & Infection Control practice questions

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