Deck 29: State and Local Health Departments

Question 1

A nurse is employed by a local health department.Which of the following would be a core responsibility of this role?

A)Assessment and surveillance of the health status of its residents
B)Providing direct care to vulnerable populations in the community
C)Using marketing strategies to educate citizens about healthy lifestyle choices
D)Implementing quality assurance methods at local care facilities

Answer 1

Assessment and surveillance of the health status of its residents

Question 2

Which of the following professionals inspects or assesses the safety of water supplies,restaurants,dairies,sewers,and swimming pools for public health departments?

A)Environmental sanitarians
B)Epidemiologists
C)Public health director
D)Public health nurse

Answer 2

Environmental sanitarians

Question 3

For what population size are most local health departments responsible?

A)Populations of 50,000 or fewer
B)Very large populations of 100,000 or more
C)Very large populations of 250,000 or more
D)Populations of more than 1 million residents

Answer 3

Populations of 50,000 or fewer

Question 4

Under the U.S.Constitution,which level of government has primary responsibility for health care of American citizens?

A)County/district level of government
B)Federal level of government
C)State level of government
D)Town/city/village level of government

Question 5

A young pregnant woman is unemployed and does not have access to health insurance.Which of the following programs would be able to assist her in obtaining health insurance?

A)Sliding fee scale
B)Women,Infants,and Children Supplemental Food program (WIC)
C)Medicare
D)Medicaid

Question 6

A nurse employed by a state health agency has been notified that her position within the agency will be eliminated.Which of the following factors has most likely contributed to this?

A)A downturn in the economy and tax reform efforts mean fewer state tax dollars.
B)Federal government funds given to states for health needs have been used for other purposes.
C)The need to provide care is declining as new mandates from the federal level are felt by local communities.
D)There is a decreased demand for public health services by the community.

Question 7

Which of the following sources produces the most revenue at the local level?

A)Grants
B)Fees for service
C)Levies
D)Resource allocation

Question 8

A public health nurse working in the late 1800s would have most likely provided care to which of the following clients?

A)An 80-year-old man who had diabetes
B)A 40-year-old woman who did not have health insurance
C)A 20-year-old woman who was pregnant
D)A 30-year-old man who had Down syndrome

Question 9

A public health nurse is employed by a state health department and provides disease investigation and tracks contacts of persons infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).Which agency is most likely to provide funding for this position?

A)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
B)Department of Agriculture
C)Department of Health and Human Services
D)Federal Public Health Department

Question 10

Which of the following determines the authority,responsibility,and funding of local health departments?

A)County/district legislation
B)The federal government
C)The local health department
D)State legislation

Question 11

Aside from administrative staff,which professional group represents the majority of professionals in public health departments?

A)Epidemiologists
B)Nurses
C)Physicians
D)Environmental sanitarians

Question 12

Public health funding represents what percentage of total health care funding expenditures?

A)1% to 4%
B)5% to 9%
C)10% to 14%
D)15% to 19%

Question 13

To qualify to be the chief executive in most state health departments,which of the following is the requirement?

A)Medical doctor with a degree in public health
B)Nurse with expertise in public health and administration
C)PhD in any profession and a degree in public health
D)Political appointment,serving at the discretion of the governor

Question 14

Which branch of the federal government funds the Women,Infants,and Children (WIC)supplemental food program?

A)The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
B)The Department of Agriculture
C)The Department of Health and Human Services
D)The Public Health Department

Question 15

A nurse has recently been hired by a state health agency.Which of the following activities would the nurse most likely complete?

A)Collaborating with other professionals on the state's disaster plan
B)Hiring physicians and nurses to provide direct care to needy clients
C)Performing blood pressure screenings at a community center
D)Assuring quality health care in facilities in the state

Question 16

A local health department is considering writing a grant to expand services for young women and children in the community.Which of the following factors would lead the agency to decide not to apply for available grant funding?

A)The employment of quality grant writers at the agency is too expensive.
B)The grant-writing process is not the most efficient way to obtain more funding.
C)The restrictions and accountability costs may exceed the money received.
D)The staff is unfamiliar with the grant application process.

Question 17

A public health nurse is employed by a state health department and is coordinating a lead screening program in the state.What is the most likely source of funding for this programming?

A)Federal and state tax dollars
B)Fees for services
C)Local and county tax funds
D)Research and grant funds

Question 18

When asked,"What does your state health department do for you?" the average citizen might well respond,"Nothing." What does such a response illustrate?

A)Citizens are woefully uninformed about health and health care.
B)Citizens resent being asked personal questions.
C)Health is not a priority for Americans.
D)Most direct services are provided by local health departments.

Question 19

A school health nurse contacted the public health department with concern that increasing numbers of parents were calling the school and reporting their child would not be in attendance because of a sore throat and fever.Which professional staff member would be most helpful in such a situation?

A)An epidemiologist,who might determine whether a disease outbreak was occurring
B)A nurse,who could give home care to each of the ill children
C)A physician,who could visit each of the ill children
D)The principal of the school,who could insist that the children stay in isolation

Question 20

A public health nurse has been asked to be part of a coalition to promote legislation to ban smoking in public places in the state.Why is it important for the nurse to be part of this coalition?

A)The nurse can prioritize community health care needs to address the problem.
B)The nurse can determine the needs of others and the priority of any care needed.
C)The nurse can effectively communicate among various stakeholder groups.
D)The nurse can educate other people and enforce the legislation when it is passed.

Question 21

A nurse is employed by a local public health department and provides direct care services to clients in the community.Which of the following payer sources is likely to be responsible for reimbursing for this care? (Select all that apply.)

A)Legislative appropriations
B)The client who uses a sliding fee scale
C)Private insurance
D)State health agency
E)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
F)Medicare and Medicaid

Question 22

A nurse has recently been hired to work as a public health nurse at a local health department.She wonders what her role will be in this new setting.Which of the following documents would provide this information?

A)Community Health Certification Criteria from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
B)The state's nurse practice act
C)Public Health Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice
D)The Future of Public Health

Question 23

Which of the following changes have occurred in public health since 1990? (Select all that apply.)

A)Renewed focus on primary care to the medically indigent
B)Development of coalitions and partnerships to provide care to populations
C)Improved emergency preparedness with funding for such preparation
D)Improved surveillance and infrastructure as a result of fears about terrorism
E)Increased emphasis on primary care to individuals and families
F)Increased funding from Medicaid for services rendered

Question 24

Which of the following activities is a public health nurse most likely to be involved in during the twenty-first century?

A)Preventing the spread of communicable diseases
B)Assisting uninsured clients in obtaining health care services
C)Providing direct care services for uninsured individuals
D)Developing multiagency collaborations and partnerships

Question 25

A public health nurse is assessing the health of the community and planning appropriate public health interventions.Which of the following models could the public health nurse use? (Select all that apply.)

A)Protocol for Assessing Community Excellence in Environmental Health (PACE-EH)
B)Leininger's Cultural Beliefs in Practice model
C)Mobilizing Action through Partnerships and Planning (MAPP)
D)Neuman's Adaptation of Systems model
E)The Quad Council's Public Health Nursing model
F)The Wheel (Minnesota Interventions Wheel)