Deck 13: Safety

Question 1

A national standard for patient safety has been established by the organization that is responsible for evaluating and accrediting health-care organizations and programs in the United States. This organization is known as

A) The Joint Commission.
B) The State Board of Nursing.
C) The National League for Nursing.
D) The American Nurses Association.

Answer 1

The Joint Commission.

Question 2

While working at a hospital, a fire begins in the break room. A nurse immediately removes patients from the room adjacent to the break room and sounds the fire alarm. Next, the nurse should

A) Call the fire department.
B) Obtain a fire extinguisher.
C) Confine the fire to one area.
D) Open all of the doors in the immediate area.

Answer 2

Confine the fire to one area.

Question 3

When caring for a confused patient who has a history of falls, a nurse demonstrates caring when

A) Removing the patient's night-light.
B) Keeping the patient's bed in the highest position at all times.
C) Having the patient sit in a rocking chair near the nurses' station.
D) Offering infrequent opportunities for the patient to go to the bathroom.

Answer 3

Having the patient sit in a rocking chair near the nurses' station.

Question 4

A fire breaks out in a hospital. A nurse makes sure that the fire extinguisher is designated for type C fires before using it because the fire started

A) In a trashcan full of paper.
B) On a stove in the kitchen.
C) In a piece of electrical equipment.
D) From a combustible liquid.

Question 5

A nurse is caring for a patient who has a history of falls. The nurse would intervene if he or she observed the certified nursing assistant (CNA)

A) Placing the patient in a wheelchair near the nurses' station.
B) Standing next to the patient while he or she bathes in the bathroom.
C) Placing the patient in a room that is visible from the nurses' station.
D) Instructing the patient to put his or her call light on when finished using the commode.

Question 6

A nurse is caring for a female patient who has been hospitalized for a right-sided cerebrovascular accident (CVA). The patient is impulsive and confused. She has weakness on the left side of her body and requires assistance when ambulating. The nurse's highest priority when caring for this patient is

A) Range-of-motion exercises.
B) Performing a calorie count.
C) Ordering a social service consult.
D) Ensuring that the bed alarm is turned on.

Question 7

A nurse educator is teaching a group of new graduate nurses about how to correctly apply restraints. The nurse educator recognizes that further instruction is warranted when a new graduate nurse states:

A) "I should never use restraints on a patient."
B) "I should tie restraints in a quick-release knot."
C) "I should not use restraints for the convenience of the staff."
D) "I should be able to insert three fingers between the patient's body and the restraint."

Question 8

A charge nurse is receiving four patients from surgery. The charge nurse recognizes that the most appropriate patient to place in the room closest to the nurses' station is

A) A 9-year-old child who is tearful.
B) A 62-year-old patient who is anxious.
C) An 87-year-old patient who is confused.
D) A 16-year-old adolescent who is depressed.

Question 9

A nurse is assigned to care for four patients. The nurse determines that the patient who is most at risk for injury from trying to get out of bed is

A) An 84-year-old patient who has a fecal impaction.
B) An 8-year-old child who underwent a tonsillectomy.
C) A 16-year-old adolescent who had an appendectomy.
D) A 62-year-old patient who had a myocardial infection.

Question 10

A nurse is caring for a patient on bedrest who repeatedly attempts to get out of bed without assistance. The most therapeutic response by the nurse is:

A) "Why do you keep trying to get out of bed?"
B) "Would you like me to give you a back rub?"
C) "I need for you to behave and stop trying to get out of bed."
D) "If you don't stop trying to get up, I will have to restrain you."

Question 11

A nursing instructor supervises a student nurse who is caring for a patient who is on fall precautions. The nursing instructor would intervene if he or she observed the student nurse

A) Keeping the bed at the highest position at all times.
B) Using furniture to block areas that are off-limits to the patient.
C) Placing the patient's bed at the lowest level when the patient is sleeping.
D) Placing the overbed table across the wheelchair when the patient is seated.

Question 12

A student nurse encounters an unresponsive patient in a waiting room. The patient is not breathing and has no pulse or respirations. The first thing they should do is

A) Begin rescue breathing.
B) Alert the emergency team.
C) Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).
D) Perform the Heimlich maneuver.

Question 13

A charge nurse supervises an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) providing care to a patient at risk for falls who repeatedly attempts to get out of bed without assistance. The charge nurse intervenes when observing the UAP

A) Placing the patient's mattress on the floor.
B) Having the patient fold washcloths and towels.
C) Having the patient sit in a rocking chair near the nurses' station.
D) Offering infrequent opportunities for the patient to go to the bathroom.

Question 14

While working at a hospital, a fire begins in the break room. A nurse immediately removes patients from the room adjacent to the break room, sounds the fire alarm, and confines the fire by closing doors. Next, the nurse obtains the fire extinguisher. When using a fire extinguisher, the nurse should first

A) Squeeze the handles together.
B) Pull the pin found between the handles.
C) Aim the nozzle at the base of the flames.
D) Sweep the nozzle back and forth at the base of the flames.

Question 15

A nurse is working on a nursing unit when an electrical fire starts. The nurse should first

A) Sound the fire alarm.
B) Obtain a fire extinguisher.
C) Confine the fire to one area.
D) Remove patients from immediate danger.

Question 16

When caring for a patient with bilateral wrist restraints, a nurse can delegate which of the following to a certified nursing assistant (CNA)?

A) Education of restraint alternatives
B) Checks and releases of the restraints
C) Assessment of bilateral radial pulses
D) Teaching of when restraints can be removed

Question 17

A nursing instructor educates a student nurse about the correct application of a vest restraint. The student nurse demonstrates understanding when applying the vest restraint so that the crossover is

A) In the back.
B) In the front.
C) On the left side.
D) On the right side.

Question 18

A nurse is working at a clinic when an electrical fire begins. The nurse determines that there are no patients in the immediate area. The nurse should next

A) Sound the fire alarm.
B) Obtain a fire extinguisher.
C) Confine the fire to one area.
D) Close all of the doors in the immediate area.

Question 19

While supervising a certified nursing assistant (CNA), a nurse intervenes when observing the CNA

A) Answering a call light promptly.
B) Instructing a patient whose primary language is not English to call for assistance.
C) Rapidly responding when alarms sound on equipment.
D) Instructing a patient how to press the call button.

Question 20

When educating a new graduate nurse about how to minimize physical hazards, a charge nurse teaches that one of the best ways to prevent physical injuries when lifting and moving anything is to use good posture and

A) Strong muscles.
B) Body mechanics.
C) Twisting movements.
D) A narrow base of support.

Question 21

When providing discharge instructions to a patient who has been prescribed home oxygen therapy, a nurse teaches the patient to do which of the following?

A) Burn candles near the oxygen source.
B) Avoid smoking near the oxygen source.
C) Avoid wearing wool blankets or sweaters.
D) Use extension tubing to move around the house.
E) Use an open-flame heater near the oxygen source.

Question 22

A student nurse is out shopping when he or she hears that a mass casualty event (MCE) has occurred in the area. It is his or her responsibility as a student and as a nurse to

A) Know and follow his or her facility's disaster plan.
B) Immediately return to his or her place of work.
C) Go to the scene and begin treating the victims who are most likely to survive.
D) Call the Department of Health and Human Services for instructions.

Question 23

When an order has been obtained to place restraints on a patient, and the restraints are in place, nursing staff is required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and The Joint Commission to follow which of the following guidelines?

A) Offering the patient fluids
B) Checking on the patient no more than every 2 hours
C) Assisting the patient with toileting
D) Changing the patient's position in bed
E) Removing the restraint every 2 hours

Question 24

A nurse is caring for a patient who has a history of getting up without assistance, which has resulted in falls. The nurse selects a restraint alternative for this patient. Restraint alternatives include which of the following?

A) Vests
B) Jackets
C) Leg monitors
D) Bed monitors
E) Chair monitors

Question 25

A student nurse's coworker has been arriving late to work for several weeks in a row, each time with red eyes and slurred speech. The student nurse should

A) Ask if the coworker is abusing prescription medications.
B) Discuss these observations with other coworkers.
C) Speak confidentially with an instructor.
D) Advise the coworker to get some more sleep.

Question 26

A nursing instructor is teaching a class about safety precautions that must be taken in the presence of gasses. The teacher realizes that additional clarification is needed when a student says:

A) "Static electricity can cause a spark that can ignite a fire or cause an explosion."
B) "Sheets and gowns saturated in oxygen will burn very rapidly."
C) "No smoking or open flame are allowed in the presence of oxygen."
D) "Oxygen is explosive."
Multiple Response
Identify one or more choices that best complete the statement or answer the question.

Question 27

A pregnant nurse is assigned to a patient undergoing internal radiation therapy for thyroid cancer. As a precaution, the nurse should

A) Wear a film badge.
B) Limit her amount of time around the patient.
C) Wear a lead apron when near the patient.
D) Request an alternative assignment.

Question 28

A member of the hospital maintenance staff is mopping when patients begin to complain about watery eyes and irritated throats. Once the worker's mop bucket is identified as the source of the irritation, a nurse should

A) Evacuate the affected area immediately.
B) Notify the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
C) Treat the patients with medication for chemical exposure.
D) Identify the chemicals and consult the material safety data sheets (MSDSs).

Question 29

Researchers have found that, because they are more likely than others to move around in bed or try to get out of bed, the individuals who are at highest risk for entrapment are older, frail adults who experience which of the following?

A) Pain
B) Comfort
C) Confusion
D) Orientation
E) Fecal impaction

Question 30

An instructor explains precautions that nurses can take when dealing with the possibility of exposure to blood and bodily fluids. The instructor identifies that additional guidance is needed when a student says:

A) "I always place my used needles into a puncture-proof, labeled container."
B) "I always recap my used needles before disposing of them."
C) "I always wash my hands before and after patient contact."
D) "I always wear gloves if there is a chance for exposure to bodily fluids."

Question 31

When educating a class of nursing students about using good body mechanics and injury prevention, a nursing instructor teaches them to do which of the following?

A) Plan work carefully.
B) Elevate work to a comfortable level.
C) Bend at the back when lifting heavy objects.
D) Hold an object close and bend their elbows when carrying something.
E) Always keep their feet together when standing.