Final answer:
The priority patient for the float nurse in the emergency room is the one from the motor vehicle accident with a completely red right sclera and ecchymosis around the right eye (option C), indicating potential head or eye trauma.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is asking which patient in an emergency room should be given priority by a float nurse assisted by an experienced nurse. The options indicate different clinical scenarios, each with varying degrees of urgency.
The patient described in option C, 'A motor vehicle accident; the right sclera completely red, ecchymosis noted around right eye', is the priority because this patient likely has a traumatic injury which could potentially be a serious condition such as an orbital fracture or a head injury. Ecchymosis (bruising) and redness of the sclera (the white part of the eye) indicate trauma, which could be associated with more significant internal injuries. This scenario suggests a possible emergency that requires immediate attention to prevent further complications.
The other options, while they may require medical attention, do not present with the same level of immediate urgency. Congestion after antibiotic treatment (option A) could indicate a resistant or non-bacterial infection, but it's not immediately life-threatening. Anxiety attacks and depression (option B) require supportive care and may be treated as urgent in a psychiatric context, but not over a potential head injury. Left flank pain with hematuria (option D) could suggest kidney stones or another urological issue that while painful, typically is not immediately life-threatening in the same sense as a traumatic injury.
Therefore, in a triage situation in the emergency room, the patient from the motor vehicle accident with signs of trauma around the eye should be the priority.