A nurse manager suspects a health care worker is experiencing chemical impairment. Which of the following actions should the nurse manager take first?

A. Discuss the incident with the health care worker: While addressing the suspected impairment with the worker is important, immediate removal from the work environment takes priority to ensure patient safety and prevent potential harm. Confrontation can follow after securing a safe environment. B. Document the findings of the incident: Documentation is essential for legal and professional accountability, but it is secondary to protecting patients from immediate risk. Recording observations does not prevent ongoing exposure to unsafe practice. C. Remove the health care worker from the work environment: The first priority is ensuring patient safety. Suspected chemical impairment can impair judgment, coordination, and response time, creating a high risk for errors or accidents. Immediate removal prevents potential harm to clients and coworkers. D. Place the health care worker on probation: Probation is a disciplinary measure that may follow an investigation, but it is not the first step. Immediate action must focus on safety, and probation does not address the urgent risk posed by active impairment.