Nursing Elites

1. Which of the following is an example of a sentinel event in healthcare?

• A. A patient falling in the hospital without injury
• B. A near-miss medication error
• C. An unexpected patient death unrelated to the natural course of illness
• D. A patient developing an infection during a hospital stay

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C. A sentinel event in healthcare is an unexpected patient death unrelated to the natural course of illness. These events are serious occurrences that warrant immediate investigation and response to prevent their recurrence and ensure patient safety. Choices A, B, and D do not fit the definition of a sentinel event. While choices A, B, and D are serious incidents, they do not involve an unexpected patient death unrelated to the natural course of illness, which is the defining characteristic of a sentinel event.

2. What is the primary goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)?

• A. To reduce healthcare costs
• B. To expand access to healthcare
• C. To improve healthcare quality
• D. To increase healthcare funding

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The primary goal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to expand access to healthcare. While reducing healthcare costs and improving healthcare quality are important aspects, the ACA's main focus was on increasing the number of Americans with health insurance coverage and enhancing the availability and affordability of healthcare services. Increasing healthcare funding is not the primary goal of the ACA, as its main aim was to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for a larger portion of the population.

3. A client complains every morning that the night shift nursing staff does not answer his call light promptly to assist his elimination needs. His concerns are not shared with the Nurse Manager, and he falls while trying to walk to the bathroom. This fall could be attributed to which of the following?

• A. Breakdown in communication
• B. Lack of staff
• C. Lack of concern
• D. Breakdown in management

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The correct answer is A: Breakdown in communication. In this scenario, the client's complaints about the night shift nursing staff not responding promptly to his call light indicate a lack of effective communication. If the client's concerns were properly communicated to the Nurse Manager, steps could have been taken to address the issue and prevent the fall. Choice B, Lack of staff, is incorrect as the issue here is not related to staffing levels but rather to communication breakdown. Choice C, Lack of concern, is not the primary cause of the fall; the root cause lies in communication failure. Choice D, Breakdown in management, while related, is not as direct a cause as the breakdown in communication which led to the fall.

4. A resident on night call refuses to answer pages from the staff nurse on the night shift and complains that she calls too often with minor problems. The nurse feels offended and reacts with frequent, middle-of-the-night phone calls to 'get back' at him. The behavior displayed by the resident and the nurse is an example of what kind of conflict?

• A. Perceived conflict
• B. Disruptive conflict
• C. Competitive conflict
• D. Felt conflict

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Disruptive conflict.' In disruptive conflict, the parties involved are engaged in activities to reduce, defeat, or eliminate the opponent. In this scenario, the resident and the nurse are engaging in behaviors that disrupt their professional relationship by intentionally ignoring pages and making excessive retaliatory calls. Perceived conflict refers to a situation where one or more parties believe that a conflict exists, competitive conflict involves striving to achieve personal goals at the expense of others, and felt conflict refers to the emotional involvement in a conflict situation.

5. A 26-year-old female with type 1 diabetes develops a sore throat and runny nose after caring for her sick toddler. The patient calls the clinic for advice about her symptoms and a blood glucose level of 210 mg/dL despite taking her usual glargine (Lantus) and lispro (Humalog) insulin. The nurse advises the patient to

• A. use only the lispro insulin until the symptoms are resolved
• B. limit calorie intake until the glucose is less than 120 mg/dL
• C. monitor blood glucose every 4 hours and notify the clinic if it continues to rise
• D. decrease carbohydrate intake until glycosylated hemoglobin is less than 7%

Correct answer: C

Rationale: In this scenario, the nurse should advise the patient to monitor her blood glucose every 4 hours and notify the clinic if it continues to rise. This is important because the patient is experiencing symptoms of an illness (sore throat and runny nose) that can lead to fluctuations in blood glucose levels. By monitoring frequently, any significant rise in blood glucose can be detected early, enabling prompt intervention. Choice A is incorrect because abruptly stopping glargine (Lantus) insulin can lead to uncontrolled blood glucose levels. Choice B is incorrect as limiting calorie intake is not the appropriate immediate action for managing high blood glucose levels. Choice D is also incorrect as adjusting carbohydrate intake based on glycosylated hemoglobin levels is not the immediate action needed in this acute situation.

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