(PrepU) Health Care Systems / Health Care Organizations: Nursing Concepts

Action has been taken against a nurse's license based on a claim that the nurse acted outside of nursing's scope of practice. The nurse's attorney determines that the nurse needs more education about the purpose of the board of nursing when the nurse makes which statement?

"The rules made by the board of nursing don't reflect my practice." A nurse's practice should reflect the rules of the board of nursing rather than vice versa. Boards of nursing are established by state legislation through the state's nurse practice act and exist to protect the public. These rules help to keep unlicensed people from practicing nursing.

A nurse is working as part of a response team caring for children who have been involved in an elementary school fire. Which children would the nurse identify as needing a referral to a burn unit? Select all that apply.

8-year-old with an inhalation injury 6-year-old with burns involving the knees and hips 10-year-old with second-degree (partial-thickness) burns over 15% of the body 9-year-old with asthma and burns to the face Referral to a burn unit should occur for children with inhalation injuries; burns that involve the face, hands and feet, genitalia, perineum, or major joints; partial-thickness or second-degree burns greater than 10% of total body surface; burns and preexisting conditions that might affect the care (such as asthma); or burns and traumatic injuries such as rib fractures. Superficial or first-degree burns over 5% of the body are not a criterion for referring a child to a burn unit.

Nurses in various health care settings provide services to prevent the fragmentation of care that is occurring as a health care trend in today's society. What role of the nurse is most important in preventing this effect?

Coordinator of care The most important role of the nurse in preventing fragmentation of care would be coordinator of care. Care coordination is the deliberate organization of client care activities between two or more participants (including the client) involved in a client's care to facilitate the appropriate delivery of health care services. The roles of care provider, counselor, and educator are all important roles, but the priority role is as the coordinator of care.

The nurse is getting accustomed to the role of nurse manager. What are requirements for this nursing role? Select all that apply.

Creating schedules for the unit Managing the unit's operational budget Introducing methods to improve staff efficiency Evaluating the success of the unit policies The nurse manager is responsible for managing the unit's operational budget, improving staff efficiency, creating the schedule, and evaluating the effectiveness of unit policies. Staff nurses, not the nurse manager, are responsible for setting goals for individual clients in collaboration with the clients. The nurse manager should encourage teamwork by the staff at all times, not regulate how much of it the staff use.

According to the Joint Commission, which of the following is a focus of assessment related to quality of pain?

Description in the client's own words The focus of pain assessment is the description in the client's own words.

What statement describes a required characteristic of all generic drugs?

Generic drugs must be therapeutically equivalent to brand name drugs. Generic drugs must be therapeutically equivalent to the brand name drug and are usually less expensive. Generic drugs are categorized in the same fashion as are brand name drugs. The remaining statements are descriptive of brand name drugs.

A woman has presented to the clinic with her sick school-aged child. The child's mother reports she rarely has enough money to meet the health care needs of her chronically ill child. What information should be provided to the woman?

Medicaid may be available to low-income parents and their children. Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides health insurance to low-income parents and their children. It is state-administered, and each state has its own set of guidelines.

Which type of home healthcare agency is a local health department?

Official or public agency Health departments are public agencies supported through tax dollars and benefit the community in which they are located. Private not-for-profit agencies are supported by donations, endowments, charities, and insurance reimbursement. Private, proprietary agencies are usually for-profit organizations governed by individual owners or national corporations. Institution-based agencies operate under a parent organization, such as a hospital.

The registered nurse (RN) wants to delegate a task to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) but is unsure if the task can be delegated. What is the best resource for the RN to use in determining if the task is appropriate?

The nurse practice act or facility's policy and procedures The RN should consult the nurse practice act or the facility's policy and procedures. The nurse mentor or preceptor and the more experienced nurse are good resources, but may mistakenly give inaccurate information. The medical practice act is designed to govern physician practice and may not contain information on the task that is to be delegated.