Which of the following is considered a "near miss" in nursing practice?

A "near miss" in nursing practice refers to an event that could have led to an adverse outcome but did not, either by chance or through timely intervention. In this context, the situation where clients were almost sent for surgery that was not scheduled represents a near miss. It highlights a significant potential for harm that was averted before actually resulting in negative consequences for the patient. The fact that the surgery was not scheduled means that there was no actual breach of care, which aligns with the definition of a near miss.

In contrast, a medication error that caused harm indicates that an actual error occurred with a negative impact on the patient's health. Similarly, an unexpected death in the hospital denotes a critical situation that has already resulted in the worst possible outcome—death. A lab result indicating a critical value also reflects an urgent situation that requires immediate intervention but does not fit the near miss category about an event that nearly caused harm without actual repercussions. Therefore, the scenario regarding the unscheduled surgery effectively encapsulates the concept of a near miss in nursing practice.