As the nurse manager of a surgical unit, what is your priority action upon noticing clients nearly sent to preoperative without being scheduled?

The priority action in this situation is to investigate and explore the near miss. When clients are nearly sent to preoperative without being properly scheduled, it poses significant risks to patient safety and the surgical process. Investigating this incident allows the nurse manager to identify the root causes of the oversight and understand how the error occurred. This proactive approach can help prevent similar occurrences in the future by implementing appropriate corrective measures, enhancing protocols, and providing additional training to the staff if necessary.

In a healthcare setting, especially in surgical units, patient safety is paramount. Addressing the near miss thoroughly ensures that there is a system in place that minimizes the likelihood of such errors occurring again, therefore safeguarding patients and maintaining the integrity of the surgical schedule.

While acknowledging the staff's attention to detail is valuable, it is not the immediate priority since the focus should be on understanding and rectifying the process that led to the near miss. Reporting to the State Department of Health may be necessary if there is a recurring pattern or significant harm, but initially, internal investigation takes precedence. Comforting the clients, although important for their emotional state, should come after addressing the systemic issue at hand.