ATI Video Case Study: Survival Potential

A nurse is planning a tabletop disaster drill at an acute care facility. The nurse should include which of the following clients as an example of the urgent triage category?

A client who has a large wound to his right thigh and pedal pulses 3+. *This client has a major injury that requires treatment. However, the client has adequate peripheral circulation and can wait to receive treatment until after clients who are assigned to the immediate category have been treated.

A nurse is assessing a child at the scene of a school bus crash. The child has several bruises and a superficial 5 cm (2in) laceration that has stopped bleeding on his left arm. The nurse should assign the child to which of the following triage categories?

Nonurgent *The nurse should assign a client to the nonurgent category if the client has minor injuries. It is safe to delay treatment until clients assigned to the emergent and urgent categories receive care. Therefore, the nurse should use this category for a client who has bruising and a minor laceration with minimal bleeding.

Following a natural disaster, a nurse at an emergency department is prioritizing care of incoming clients. The nurse finds a client who is assigned to the urgent care category. Which of the following actions should the nurse plan to take?

Tell the client he will receive treatment in about an hour. *Clients assigned to the urgent care category can wait for a short period of time before receiving treatment. These clients can have major injuries, but are not the most severe category of clients.

A public health nurse is discussing mass casualty triage at a staff meeting. Which of the following staff member statements should the nurse identify as an understanding of the information?

"Clients in the expectant category should receive comfort measures only." *Clients in the expectant category have injuries so severe that they would likely die despite intensive treatment. In a mass casualty situation, clients in the expectant category receive comfort measures only so that resources are preserved for others who have a greater potential for survival.

An occupational health nurse is assisting with mass casualty triage following an explosion at a local factory. The nurse should recommend transporting which of the following clients to the emergency department first?

A client whose leg is partially amputated. *A client who has a partial leg amputation requires immediate intervention for survival. Therefore, when using the survival potential approach to client care, the nurse should recommend transporting this client to the emergency department first.