The nurse responds to a call bell and finds a client lying on the floor after a fall. The nurse suspects that the client's arm may be broken. Which immediate action should the nurse take?

When a fracture is suspected, it is imperative that the area be splinted before the client is moved. Emergency help should be called for if the client is external to a hospital, and a primary health care provider is called if the client is hospitalized. Vital signs would be taken, but this is not the immediate action. The primary health care provider rather than the nurse prescribes an x-ray examination. The nurse should remain with the client and provide realistic reassurance. Although the details of the fall are important, such a discussion is not an immediate need.