A nurse and an assistive personnel (AP) are caring for a client. The client tells the nurse. "I noticed the assistive personnel does not wash their hands when leaving my room." Which of the following actions should the nurse take first?

Rationale: A. This is incorrect as the first action. While assessing competence is useful, the immediate issue is a reported breach in infection control. The nurse must first address the specific concern and determine whether the behavior is occurring before moving to education or skills validation. B. This is incorrect as the first action. Direct instruction may be needed, but it should come after the nurse addresses the concern and assesses the situation. Jumping immediately to instruction assumes noncompliance or lack of knowledge without confirmation. C. This is correct. The nurse’s first priority is to address the concern directly with the assistive personnel in a professional and timely manner. This allows the nurse to clarify what is happening, assess whether hand hygiene is being performed correctly, and address any breach in infection control practice immediately to protect patient safety. D. This is incorrect as the first action. Demonstration is an educational intervention that should occur after assessing the situation and discussing the concern with the AP. It is not the initial step in addressing a reported safety issue.