You are a nursing assistant on shift and your replacement calls to say she will be late and you need to leave at the end of your shift. What should you do?

You are a nursing assistant on shift and your replacement calls to say she will be late and you need to leave at the end of your shift. What should you do?

• A. Ask the nurse if she can call another nursing assistant to help
• B. How's the nurse work for you until your relief can get there
• C. Continue to work until your relief arrives
• D. Discuss the situation with the hospital administrator

Answer: (A)

When a replacement is late, the priority is to keep patients safe by ensuring there’s adequate help to cover the shift. The best action is to ask the nurse in charge to arrange for additional help, such as another nursing assistant, so care can continue without the unit being short-staffed. The nurse has the authority to coordinate staffing and can call in extra help or adjust assignments to maintain safe, continuous care. This prevents leaving patients unattended and avoids overextending yourself beyond what’s allowed by policy. Staying on beyond your shift or continuing to work without relief risks patient safety and may violate facility rules. Escalating to an administrator is not the immediate step for routine scheduling gaps; the nurse in charge should handle coverage first. If coverage cannot be found, then follow the facility’s chain of command and document the situation, ensuring a proper handoff for the relief nurse.

When a replacement is late, the priority is to keep patients safe by ensuring there’s adequate help to cover the shift. The best action is to ask the nurse in charge to arrange for additional help, such as another nursing assistant, so care can continue without the unit being short-staffed. The nurse has the authority to coordinate staffing and can call in extra help or adjust assignments to maintain safe, continuous care. This prevents leaving patients unattended and avoids overextending yourself beyond what’s allowed by policy.

Staying on beyond your shift or continuing to work without relief risks patient safety and may violate facility rules. Escalating to an administrator is not the immediate step for routine scheduling gaps; the nurse in charge should handle coverage first. If coverage cannot be found, then follow the facility’s chain of command and document the situation, ensuring a proper handoff for the relief nurse.