A nurse walks into a client's room and finds him on the floor unharmed. What is the nurse's first step?

• A. File an incident report
• B. Provide immediate care
• C. Notify the charge nurse
• D. Document the event

Answer: (A)

When patient safety events occur, the priority is to capture and communicate what happened in a formal, official record. If you find a client on the floor and he’s unharmed, the first step is to initiate an incident report. This creates a time-stamped, factual account of the event—what happened, who witnessed it, what actions were taken, and whether any injuries or potential hazards were identified. Starting the incident report promptly triggers the organization’s review process, supports accountability, and guides future safety improvements. After the report is begun, you would typically proceed with notifying the charge nurse and documenting any care provided, but the formal first action is to file the incident report.