Safety and Emergency Procedures
What to know
Safety questions reward the prevention step, not the rescue step. Fall prevention: bed in lowest position, wheels locked, side rails per facility policy (never as a restraint), call light in reach, non-skid footwear, clear path, adequate lighting, answer call lights promptly, check on residents regularly. Incident reporting: report any fall, injury, or error immediately to the nurse, even if the resident seems fine; you do not decide whether it was serious.
Fire: RACE - Rescue anyone in immediate danger, pull the Alarm, Contain the fire by closing doors, Extinguish or Evacuate. Never use an elevator. Horizontal evacuation moves residents past fire doors first. PASS for extinguishers: Pull, Aim, Squeeze, Sweep.
Seizure: protect the head, do not restrain, do not put anything in the mouth, time it, clear hazards, call for help.
Choking: universal distress sign; call for help, abdominal thrusts for a conscious adult.
Traps
'Put a spoon or cloth in the mouth during a seizure' - wrong. 'Use the elevator during a fire' - wrong. 'Wait to see if the resident is hurt before reporting a fall' - wrong. 'Give water to someone who is choking' - wrong.
Rule of thumb
For every transfer and every bed position, ask: lowest bed, locked wheels, call light in reach. If any of the three is missing, fix it before you walk away.
Worked example
You find a resident on the floor. Do not move them; check responsiveness and breathing, call for help, stay with them, and report. Moving a resident who may have a hip fracture is the wrong first move.