You notice a resident is coughing and has a fever. What is your immediate action?

• A. Notify the nurse promptly and follow facility policies for infection control and isolation if indicated.
• B. Ignore and continue care.
• C. Delay reporting to observe.
• D. Self-treatment with over-the-counter meds.

Answer: (A)

When a resident has coughing and fever, the priority is to prevent possible spread of infection. Notifying the nurse promptly allows a clinician to assess and decide if isolation or droplet precautions are needed, and to ensure proper use of PPE, hand hygiene, and cleaning measures. This protects the resident, staff, and others. Waiting, delaying reporting, ignoring symptoms, or treating with OTC meds does not address infection control and could put others at risk. Prompt report enables appropriate care and precautions right away.