Who does she need to inform? What procedures should be implemented to ensure that this does not happen again?
Janice is the head nurse in an assisted-living center’s 24-room Alzheimer’s wing. This wing’s 24 patients are all in various stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The unit is permanently locked due to the nature of the disease, and patients are not permitted to leave the area. One of the residents, Flo, is frequently seen waiting at the door and attempting to leave when it is opened. Janice has informed the entire center of the security concerns in her wing, and all staff members are required to ensure that no one enters or exits when the doors are opened. Janice receives an emergency call from Flo’s family one evening, stating that when they arrived to visit her, she was not on the ward. Janice now has a series of announcements to make. Who does she need to inform? What procedures should be implemented to ensure that this does not happen again?