Aclient who had a total hip placement at 0900 is receiving an autologous blood transfusion that was started at 1100. at the change of shift (1500), the nurse working on the day shift reports that there is 50 ml of the unit of blood remaining to be infused. which is a priority action for the nurse working on the evening shift

The priority action for the nurse working on the evening shift is to discontinue the blood transfusion at the beginning of the shift. In most organizations, it is a rule to abandon the autologous blood after 4 hours of transfusing, because of an augmented risk of contamination. Snowballing the infusion rate could cause fluid overwork. Observing blood transfusions is a grave nursing responsibility, and for the reason that it is the alteration of shift, there is enlarged danger of error.