An RN delegates patient assignments to an LPN and nursing assistant. Later, the RN overhears a nursing assistant arguing with a patient regarding a late breakfast tray. The nursing assistant begins to raise his voice as the disagreement continues. The best action from the RN is to

  1. call the nursing assistant out of the room and speak with him about the incident.
  2. apologize to the patient and assign another nursing assistant to that room.
  3. report the nursing assistant to the nursing manager for poor patient care.
  4. write an incident report and give a copy to the nursing assistant and nurse manager.
Number 1 is correct.
Rationale: The RN needs to speak with the nursing assistant privately and directly regarding the incident as soon as possible. The nurse needs to assess the situation before determining the best action to take. Answers 2, 3, and 4 might be appropriate at a later time, but the nurse should directly address the situation as it is occurring.