If a patient is allergic to latex, what should be the nurse's initial action?

The best initial action for a nurse when a patient is identified as having a latex allergy is to apply a medical alert band to the patient's wrist. This action immediately communicates to all healthcare providers that the patient has a latex allergy, ensuring that anyone who interacts with the patient will be alerted to avoid using latex products. This is crucial in preventing potential allergic reactions that can occur from latex exposure, which can be severe and life-threatening.

By using a medical alert band, the information is readily visible and can help prompt additional precautions throughout the patient's care. This specific action is fundamental in establishing an effective communication system in a healthcare setting, promoting patient safety.

While other options may play roles in overall allergy management—like tagging the chart with an allergy alert for documentation purposes or notifying dietary services about food allergies—none of these actions have the immediate protective function that a medical alert band provides in terms of direct patient care. Placing the patient in an isolation room is not relevant to managing a latex allergy, as it does not address the specific risk of latex exposure within the healthcare environment.