NCLEX RN Practice Question
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit notices that a sharps disposal container in the medication room is overfilled, with needles protruding from the top and nearby staff continuing to use it. What is the most appropriate action for the nurse to take?
Secure the overfilled sharps container, replace it with a new container, and notify the appropriate department.
Ignore the overfilled container for now but mention it to the team during the next staff meeting.
Inform staff to avoid using the sharps container and document the issue in the unit's maintenance log for resolution.
Remove the overfilled sharps container and administer new caseload directives to the staff to minimize further use.