Question 1

You are observing one of the RNs on the unit administer medication. What action by the nurse would lead you to conclude there is a risk for a medication error?

Accepted Answer

A)  Answering a physician's page while giving medication
B)  Documenting in military time
C)  Asking for help with calculations
D)  Holding a medication that the patient questions A

Question 2

You will be working with an unlicensed staff member this shift. Which of the following should be priority before delegating care to the staff member?

Accepted Answer

A)  Assessing whether the staff member is competent to perform the skill
B)  Preparing written instructions on how to perform skill
C)  Gathering supplies
D)  Informing the patient that an unlicensed staff member will perform the care A

Question 3

Which of the following would the nurse avoid documenting when an error has occurred with a patient?

Accepted Answer

A)  Names of witnesses
B)  Interventions performed
C)  Physician notified
D)  Incident report submitted D

Question 4

When a registered nurse (RN) decides to delegate care to unlicensed personnel, what should the RN take into consideration when delegating care?

Accepted Answer

A)  Amount of support from RN
B)  Complexity of nursing tasks
C)  Amount of time the staff member will need to complete care
D)  Capability of the staff member to perform assessments

Question 5

A nurse from the surgical care unit has been floated to your unit for the day. Which of the following patients would you want to assign to this nurse?

Accepted Answer

A)  Exacerbation of heart failure
B)  Diabetes Type II, new onset
C)  Emergency appendectomy
D)  Thyrotoxicosis

Question 6

You are preparing the assignment for the day. You have one licensed practical nurse (LPN) and one unlicensed assistive staff member. Which of the following assignments would you not want to make?

Accepted Answer

A)  LPN to reinforce discharge instruction with a patient
B)  Unlicensed personnel to take vital signs and to document and report any changes
C)  Unlicensed personnel to assess effectiveness of pain medication
D)  LPN to remove dressing from an abdominal wound on a postoperative patient

Question 7

You are preparing an in-service for the staff on delegation. What would you want to include on how delegation impacts safety and quality of patient care?

Accepted Answer

A)  It prevents staff from becoming ineffective and nonproductive.
B)  It utilizes appropriate resources, getting the job done in the most effective way.
C)  It gives nursing tasks to the staff members who can best understand the goals of treatment,
D)  It creates team work on the unit,

Question 8

You are on break in the nursing lounge when a nursing assistant enters to tell you that what she just heard about the secretary. She then proceeds to tell you that the secretary's husband is a drug addict and she needs to be watched very carefully on the unit. You ask her what makes her think the secretary might take drugs, and she states that she heard it from someone else. What legal tort has the nursing assistant violated?

Accepted Answer

A)  Slander
B)  Libel
C)  Assault
D)  Negligence

Question 9

A hurricane is coming, and nurses have been activated to open a shelter. What items should the public be encouraged to bring to the shelter?

Accepted Answer

A)  Food and clothing
B)  Cats and dogs
C)  Medication and records
D)  Radios, televisions and other electronics

Question 10

You are caring for a patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). You have an unlicensed staff member working with you. Which activity can you delegate to the unlicensed staff?

Accepted Answer

A)  Teach the patient about weight loss.
B)  Explore any concerns about managing the disease.
C)  Explain why the patient needs eat several small meals a day.
D)  Instruct the patient to remain upright for 2 hours following a meal.

Question 11

There is a patient on the unit with herpes zoster. Which staff member would you avoid assigning to this patient?

Accepted Answer

A)  A nurse who has never had mumps
B)  A nurse who has never had chicken pox
C)  A nurse who has never had roseola
D)  A nurse who has never had German measles

Question 12

Which of the following patients should be assigned a pediatric nurse assigned to float to your unit?

Accepted Answer

A)  A 32-year-old with diabetes in need of teaching and medications
B)  A 56-year-old with Guillain-barre with leg weakness
C)  A 86-year-old with dementia from a skilled nursing home
D)  A 59-year-old postoperative patient following TURP procedure

Question 13

You are caring for a patient who has decided to discontinue treatment. You recognize that the patient is competent to make this decision and support the decision based on which of the following ethical principles?

Accepted Answer

A)  Justice
B)  Fidelity
C)  Autonomy
D)  Confidentiality

Question 14

You are delegating to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) to wound care on a patient. The LPN has never performed this type of wound care before. What component of delegation have you neglected?

Accepted Answer

A)  Authority
B)  Competency
C)  Communication
D)  Responsibility

Question 15

You as the nurse are working on the unit. You enter the medication room and find another nurse taking intravenous medication and administering it to him- or herself. What should your next action be?

Accepted Answer

A)  Call the police.
B)  Call security.
C)  Lock the nurse in the medication room.
D)  Call the nursing supervisor.

Question 16

You are caring for a heart failure patient who suddenly developed symptoms that include shortness of breath, increased respiratory rate, bilateral crackles and frothy sputum. You have notified the physician and received orders for the patient. Which activity would be appropriate to delegate to a licensed practical nurse?

Accepted Answer

A)  Start an IV.
B)  Check vital signs every 15 minutes.
C)  Morphine sulfate 2mg IV push
D)  Insert a foley catheter.

Question 17

You have been assigned to triage patients today. Which patient would get the highest priority?

Accepted Answer

A)  A patient who ate spicy pizza who is now complaining of chest pain
B)  A patient who injured their finger while cutting vegetables
C)  A patient with a headache, fever and nasal congestion
D)  A patient who complains of ankle pain when ambulating

Question 18

Which of the following consent process will need to be followed for an 86-year-old patient going to surgery?

Accepted Answer

A)  Give the patient time to process information.
B)  Family members should make decision.
C)  Ask patient to respond immediately so he does not forget.
D)  Give the patient reading material about surgery and postoperative instructions.

Question 19

You are planning the assignment for the day. Which of the following would be the most appropriate assignment for the nursing assistant?

Accepted Answer

A)  A patient receiving a continuous tube feeding
B)  A patient who needs a urine culture sent to laboratory
C)  A patient who needs a colostomy changed
D)  A patient who is having problems swallowing

Question 20

You are caring for a patient who needs to go to surgery. The patient is unable to sign consent due to narcotic analgesic administration. Who should sign the consent for surgery?

Accepted Answer

A)  The family members should provide consent, and two witnesses will be necessary.
B)  A court order will be needed.
C)  The patient should go to surgery without consent.
D)  The hospital chaplain should sign consent.

Exam 3: PCCN, Pediatrics and Obstetrics, and Professionalism