Ch 14: Safety
8. A disaster situation that involves an explosion in a hospital laundry would be classified as: a. active. b. external. c. life-threatening. d. internal.
ANS: D Internal disaster often threatens the safety of patients and staff. REF: Page 361 TOP: Disaster
15. The nurse explains that the measurement of radiation exposure is in multiples of Gy. The number of Gy an individual may absorb before becoming ill with radiation syndrome is .
ANS: 0.75 The amount of radiation absorbed is measured by the Gy. 1 Gy is equal to 100 rad. Absorption of 0.75 Gy will cause the individual to develop acute radiation syndrome. REF: Page 364 TOP: Radiation syndrome
14. The nurse conducting a seminar on bioterrorism reviews several types of agents that may be used as weapons. An agent that does not seriously damage or kill the target population but only impairs it is classified as .
ANS: incapacitating The agent that only impairs the target rather than killing or seriously damaging it is classified as an incapacitating agent. REF: Page 364 TOP: Bioterrorism
13. When reinforcing the PASS acronym for fire extinguisher use, the nurse reminds the staff that the final "S" stands for .
ANS: sweep The acronym stands for: P = pull pin, A = aim, S = squeeze, S = sweep. REF: Page 358, Box 14-9 TOP: Fire extinguisher use
4. An important safety precaution the home health nurse teaches parents to prevent burns to small children is to: a. never leave them unattended. b. turn pot handles on stoves away from reach. c. turn hot water on first when filling the bathtub. d. keep side rails up on the crib.
ANS: B To protect infants and children from burns, turn the pot handles on stoves away from the child's reach. REF: Page 346 TOP: Safety
1. The nurse manager clarifies that "safe hospital environment" implies that in the hospital setting people will be free from: a. falls. b. exposure to contaminates. c. injury. d. electrical hazard.
ANS: C A safe environment implies freedom from injury. REF: Page 343 TOP: Safety
7. When the oxygen concentrator machine malfunctions and causes an electrical fire, the nurse should use which type of fire extinguisher? a. A b. B c. C d. D
ANS: C Electrical fires require type C fire extinguishers. REF: Page 359 TOP: Fires
6. When offering a cup of hot coffee to a frail, older adult patient, the nurse must: a. give the patient a straw. b. dilute the coffee with cold water. c. fill the cup half full. d. offer a bib or an apron.
ANS: C Filling the cup half full promotes safety and does not change the flavor of the beverage, nor does it demean the patient as would making him or her wear a bib or apron. REF: Page 346 TOP: Safety
5. Before applying a safety reminder device (SRD), the nurse must: a. get permission from the family. b. assess patient's skin condition. c. get a physician's order. d. explain the SRD to the patient.
ANS: C Initially, an order is necessary that specifies the type of SRD and the duration of its application. REF: Pages 348-349, Skill 14-1 TOP: Safety reminder devices (SRDs) Step: Planning
3. To decrease the risk for falls, the nurse holds frequent in-services to ensure that staff has competent skills for: a. bathing. b. feeding. c. transferring. d. ambulating.
ANS: C The majority of patient falls occur during transfer. REF: Page 344 TOP: Falls
9. The emergency department nurse can receive assistance in dealing with a victim of poisoning by calling the: a. American Red Cross. b. fire department paramedics. c. poison control center. d. civil defense office.
ANS: C The nurse can access the local poison control for assistance in caring for a victim of poisoning. REF: Page 360, Box 14-10 TOP: Poisoning
11. A nurse who encounters a mercury spill should: a. vacuum the spill. b. open interior doors. c. close all outside windows. d. open any outside windows.
ANS: D In the event of a mercury spill, interior doors should be closed and outside windows should be opened. The spill should not be vacuumed. REF: Page 355, Box 14-6 TOP: Mercury spill
12. When the nurse ambulates with a patient who has left-sided weakness, what actions should the nurse take? (Select all that apply.) a. Walk on the patient's right side. b. Keep the patient away from heavy furniture. c. Hold the patient's arm securely. d. Keep the leg nearest the patient behind the patient's knee. e. Use a gait belt.
ANS: D, E Ambulating with a person who has an identified weakness requires that the nurse walk on the same side as the weakness, slightly behind the patient, with the nurse's near leg behind the patient's knee. The nurse should use a gait belt and hold the patient at the waist and the gait belt. Furniture can be used as support. REF: Page 345 TOP: Ambulating
10. A nurse instructs a nursing assistant about the proper use of a gait belt. The nurse should intervene after observing the nursing assistant: a. walking on the patient's strong side. b. walking to the side of the patient. c. securing the gait belt securely around the patient's waist. d. grasping the handles of the gait belt while the patient ambulates.
ANS: A A gait belt should be securely applied around the patient's waist. It has handles attached for the nurse to grasp while the patient ambulates. The nurse should walk on the patient's weaker side so that assistance may be given if the patient starts to fall. REF: Page 345 TOP: Gait belt
16. The nurse assesses a patient in a Posey safety reminder device (SRD) for which problem(s) that may increase because of use of SRDs? (Select all that apply.) a. Immobility b. Restlessness c. Risk for impaired circulation d. Risk for skin impairment e. Incontinence
ANS: A, B, C, D, E The use of SRDs increases a patient's immobility, restlessness, risk for skin impairment, risk for impaired circulation, and incontinence. REF: Pages 346-347 TOP: Problems associated with SRDs
2. To decrease the risk for injury to the patient, the nurse determines if the patient: a. can read English. b. is left-handed. c. is able to eat unassisted. d. can dress independently.
ANS: B A left-handed patient will twist to accommodate, which places them at risk for injury. REF: Page 354 TOP: Safety
