Nursing textbooks safety and infection control practice questions
Nursing textbooks · safety and infection control
Nursing textbooks safety and infection control practice questions
You stop the harm first: isolation, falls, equipment, and the order that keeps the unit safe. Five of the 15 questions include the correct answer and rationale. The other ten keep answers in the study hub. Continue with the Nursing textbooks exam guide or more Nursing textbooks practice questions.
Five safety and infection control questions with answers
Cover the key. Write the first action. Then open the rationale and name why the other choices fail.
Question 1
A client is admitted to the acute care facility for vomiting and diarrhea. An intravenous (IV) catheter is inserted for the delivery of IV fluids. A family member is with the client and observes the nurse enter the room and begin touching the IV site without washing hands or wearing gloves. Why should the client and family member be concerned with the nurse's actions?
A. The client will have an allergic reaction to the IV.
B. The nurse could develop the same symptoms.
C. The client will develop a healthcare-associated infection.
D. Dislodging of the IV catheter.
Show answer and rationale
Correct answer: C — The client will develop a healthcare-associated infection.
Healthcare-associated infections are infections acquired while receiving care in a healthcare agency that were not active, incubatory, or chronic at admission. They occur for many reasons. Hospitalized clients are more susceptible to infections than well people because they are exposed to pathogens in the healthcare environment; may have incisions or invasive equipment (e.g., IV lines) that compromise skin integrity; or may be immunosuppressed from poor nutrition, their disease process, or its treatment. Also, because healthcare personnel are in frequent and direct contact with many clients who harbor various microorganisms, the risk for transmitting pathogenic microorganisms between and among clients is high. Allergic reaction to the IV, the nurse developing the same symptoms, and dislodging of the IV catheter are not the priority concerns.
Question 2
The nurse gave a client an injection and, when attempting to recap the needle, sustained a needlestick injury to the finger. What is the priority action by the nurse?
A. Report the injury or exposure to the supervisor.
B. Document the injury in writing.
C. Receive instructions on monitoring potential symptoms and medical follow-up.
D. Receive the most appropriate postexposure prophylaxis.
Show answer and rationale
Correct answer: A — Report the injury or exposure to the supervisor.
Should needlestick injury or other exposure to a potential blood-borne pathogen occur, healthcare workers are advised to follow postexposure recommendations; report the injury or exposure to one's supervisor immediately; document the injury in writing; identify the person or source of blood; obtain the HIV and HBV statuses of the source of blood, if it is legal to do so. Unless the client gives permission, testing and revealing HIV status are prohibited. Obtain counseling on the potential for infection. Receive the most appropriate postexposure prophylaxis; be tested for disease antibodies at appropriate intervals. Receive instructions on monitoring potential symptoms and medical follow-up.
Question 3
The nurse has been injured with a needlestick while caring for a newly admitted client and informs the charge nurse. What is the next thing the injured nurse should do?
A. Document the injury in writing.
B. Obtain the client's HIV status.
C. Get instructions on monitoring potential symptoms.
D. Report the injury to the supervisor.
Show answer and rationale
Correct answer: A — Document the injury in writing.
Should an injury occur, health care workers are advised to follow postexposure recommendations: (1) Report the injury to one's supervisor immediately; (2) document the injury in writing; (3) identify the person or source of blood, if possible; and (4) obtain the HIV and hepatitis B statuses of the source of blood, if it is legal to do so. Unless the client gives permission, testing and revealing HIV status are prohibited; (5) obtain counseling on the potential for infection; (6) receive the most appropriate postexposure prophylaxis; (7) be tested for disease antibodies at appropriate intervals; and (8) receive instructions on monitoring potential symptoms and medical follow-up.
Question 4
A nurse working in a pediatrician's office receives calls from parents whose children have ingested a toxic substance from under the sink. How will the nurse advise the parents?
A. Administer activated charcoal in tablet form and take child to the ED.
B. Administer syrup of ipecac and take child to the ED.
C. Bring the child in to the primary care provider for gastric lavage.
D. Call the PCC immediately before attempting any home remedy.
Show answer and rationale
Correct answer: D — Call the PCC immediately before attempting any home remedy.
The nurse tells the parents to call the PCC immediately, before attempting a home remedy. Parents may be instructed to bring the child to an emergency facility for immediate treatment. Activated charcoal is not appropriate to use at home but under medical supervision, after the risks and benefits have been assessed. Syrup of ipecac is no longer recommended because vomiting may exacerbate the hazard as it vomited up. Gastric lavage is no longer prescribed routinely for the treatment of ingestion of a toxic substance because it may propel the poison into the small intestine, where absorption will occur. The amount of toxin removed by gastric lavage is relatively small.
Question 5
The nurse is caring for a client with an abscess on the back. The nurse observes purulent drainage coming from the abscess. What type of specimen does the nurse anticipate the physician will order to determine the type of bacteria present in the exudate?
A. A sensitivity test
B. Test for ova and parasites
C. White blood cell (WBC) count
D. A culture
Show answer and rationale
Correct answer: D — A culture
A culture identifies bacteria in a specimen taken from a person with symptoms of an infection. The source of the specimen may be body fluids or wastes, such as blood, sputum, urine, or feces, or the purulent exudate, collection of pus, from an open wound. A test for ova and parasites is a stool specimen that is examined for evidence of any forms in the infecting microorganism's life cycle. A WBC count may determine that infection is present in the body but does not isolate the bacteria. A sensitivity test is done to determine which antibiotic inhibits the growth of a nonviral microorganism and will be most effective in treating the infection.
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Question 6
Which of the following statements is true in relation to a disaster, whether natural or manmade?
A. Negatively affects society on many levels.
B. Requires a rapid and skilled response to action.
C. Is managed by a community's existing resources.
D. Requires urgent intervention to avoid worsening of the situation.
Correct answer:
A disaster is the outcome of a natural event (e.g., hurricane, flood, snowstorm) or a result of human action or error, whether malicious (e.g., terrorist attacks, use of biological warfare) or unintentional (e.g., an accidental chemical spill), that negatively affects society, the environment, or both. It is an emergency, not a disaster, that may be described as an event that requires a rapid and skilled response to protect the health, safety, and wellness of individuals and to limit damage to property. Emergency situations are typically able to be quickly managed without requiring the support and resources of other communities.
The nurse is caring for a patient who is 6 weeks' pregnant and is diagnosed with primary syphilis. Which of the following information should the nurse plan to discuss with the patient?
A. The likelihood of a stillbirth
B. The need for Caesarean section
C. Intramuscular injection of penicillin
D. Use of antibiotic eye drops for the newborn
Correct answer:
In pregnant women with syphilis, penicillin G benzathine, 2.4 million Units by intramuscular route weekly for 1-3 doses is administered, depending on the stage of syphilis. Treatment administered in the second half of pregnancy may pose a risk of premature labour and fetal distress. Instillation of enythromycin into the eyes of the newborn is used to prevent gonorheal eye infections. C-section is used to prevent the transmission of herpes to the newborn. Although stillbirth can occur if the fetus is infected with syphilis, treatment before the tenth week of gestation will eliminate in utero transmission to the fetus.
The nurse is assessing an older adult client with a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Which of the following should inform the nurse's assessment?
A. Older adults can be sexually active, and it is important to abandon biases suggesting otherwise.
B. Older adults, because of their maturity, are rarely embarrassed to talk about this.
C. Older adults know the ways to prevent STIs.
D. Older adults who are sexually active have less risk for STIs than other age groups.
Correct answer:
Nurses should abandon biases that older adults are sexually inactive. Therefore, when taking a health history, nurses should include questions about sexuality and behaviors that put them at risk for STIs. Older clients who are sexually active have the same risks of acquiring an STI as other age groups. Older adults who are not in monogamous relationships may not understand ways that are appropriate for preventing STIs. Some older adults with an STI are embarrassed and may not seek medical attention. Careful assessment is necessary to help the older adult receive medical treatment as quickly as possible.
A nurse is filing a safety event report for a confused patient who fell while getting out of bed. Which action is most appropriate during documentation?
A. Including suggestions on how to prevent the incident from recurring
B. Providing minimal information about the incident
C. Discussing the details with the patient before documenting them
D. Recording the circumstances and effect on the patient in the health record
Correct answer:
A safety event report objectively describes the circumstances of the accident or incident. The report also details the patient's response and the examination and treatment of the patient after the incident. The nurse completes the event report immediately after the incident and is responsible for recording the circumstances and the effect on the patient in the medical record. The safety event report is not a part of the medical record and should not be mentioned in the documentation. Because laws vary in different states, nurses must know their own state law regarding safety event reports.
When a patient returns to the clinic for follow-up after treatment for gonoccocal urethritis, a purulent urethral discharge is still present. When trying to determine the reason for the recurrent infection, which of the following questions is best for the nurse to ask the patient?
A. Did you take the prescribed antibiotic for a week?
B. Did you drink at least 2 quarts of fluids every day?
C. Were your sexual partners treated with antibiotics?
D. Do you wash your hands after using the bathroom?
Correct answer:
All sexual contacts of patients with gonorrhea must be examined and treated to prevent reinfection after resumption of sexual relations. The 'ping-pong' effect of re-exposure, treatment, and reinfection can cease only when infected partners are treated simultaneously. Because gonorrhea is treated with one dose of antibiotic, antibiotic therapy, for a week is not needed. An adequate fluid intake is important, but a low fluid intake is not a likely cause for failed treatment. Poor hygiene may cause complications such as ocular trachoma but will not cause a failure of treatment.
The intensive care unit nurse is caring for a client with a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy. The nurse knows that this type of encephalopathy is caused by what type of infectious agent?
A. Prion
B. Protozoa
C. Helminth
D. Rickettsia
Correct answer:
A prion is a protein that does not contain nucleic acid. Research suggests that normal prions present in brain cells protect against dementia. When a prion mutates, however, it is capable of becoming an infectious agent and altering other normal prion proteins into similar mutant copies. The mutant prions, which can be formed by genetic predisposition or acquired by transmission between the same or similar infected animal species, cause transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are not caused by protozoa, helminths, or rickettsias.
A school nurse is teaching parents about home and fire safety. What information will be included in the teaching plan? Select all that apply.
A. Sixty percent of U.S. fire deaths occur in the home.
B. Most fatal fires occur when people are cooking.
C. Most people who die in fires die of smoke inhalation.
D. Fire-related injury and death have declined due to the availability and use of smoke alarms.
E. Fires are more likely to occur in homes without electricity or gas.
Correct answer:
Eighty percent of fire deaths in the United States occur in the home. Most fatal home fires occur while people are sleeping, and most deaths result from smoke inhalation rather than burns. The widespread availability and use of home smoke alarms is considered the primary reason for the decline in fire-related injury and death. People with limited financial resources may use space or kerosene heaters, wood stoves, or a fireplace as the sole source of heat if utilities are turned off. Bedroom doors should be kept closed when sleeping and monitors used to listen for children.
The nurse is caring for a patient who is diagnosed with chlamydia and tells the nurse that she is very angry because her husband is her only sexual partner. Which of the following responses should the nurse make first?
A. You may need professional counselling to help resolve your anger.
B. It is understandable that you are angry with your husband right now.
C. Your feelings are justified and you should share them with your husband.
D. It is important that both you and your husband be treated for the infection.
Correct answer:
This response expresses the nurse's acceptance of the patient's feelings and encourages further discussion and problem-solving. The patient may need professional counselling, but more assessment of the patient is needed before making this judgment. The nurse should also assess further before suggesting that the patient share her feelings with the husband because problems such as abuse might be present in the relationship. Although it is important that both partners be treated, the patient's current anger suggests that this is not the appropriate time to bring this up.
A client with syphilis did not receive treatment and has now progressed into the tertiary stage of the disorder. Which symptoms would the nurse expect the client to exhibit?
A. Ulcated chancre, aortic valve insufficiency, lymphadenopathy
B. Fever, malaise, sore throat
C. Papular lesions, rash, headache
D. Tabes dorsalis, ataxia, and Charcot's joints
Correct answer:
The client with late or tertiary syphilis is noninfectious because the microorganism has invaded the central nervous system (CNS) as well as other organs of the body. Symptoms of tertiary syphilis include tabes dorsalis (a degenerative condition of the CNS that results in loss of peripheral reflexes and of vibratory and position senses), ataxia, and neuropathic joint disease, also called Charcot's joints. Symptoms of secondary syphilis include fever, malaise, rash, headache, sore throat, and lymph node enlargement. Ulcerated chancre occurs in the primary stage.
The student nurse is working with a nurse manager at a hospital when a disaster drill is announced over the hospital P.A. system. The nurse manager asks the nursing student what color triage tag is used for clients who have life threatening, but survivable conditions, if rapid medical attention is provided. What color is the triage tag for these clients?
A. Red
B. Yellow
C. Green
D. Black
Correct answer:
The nurse is asking about clients that are labeled immediate when the clients suffer with life threatening, but survivable conditions, if rapid medical attention is provided. Immediate clients are given a red triage tag. Clients with yellow triage tags are labeled delayed, and have injuries serious but stable enough to survive if treatment is delayed 6-8 hours. Clients with green triage tags are labeled minimal, and have injuries that are minor and can wait longer to be addressed. Clients with black triage tags are labeled expectant, and are expected to die.
About these Nursing textbooks safety and infection control questions
Nursing textbooks safety and infection control practice questions for nursing students in the United States. Fifteen items. Five include answers and rationales in American English.
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