Infection control & patient safety worksheet with answers

What does the virulence of an organism describe?

1. AHow long it survives on surfaces
2. BIts ability to cause severe disease
3. CHow well it responds to antibiotics
4. DThe number of people it has infected

Which signs are typical of a local infection in a wound?

1. APallor, coolness and numbness
2. BBluish skin and a weak distal pulse
3. CRedness, warmth, swelling and pain
4. DDry, flaky skin with mild itching

Which of these counts as a physical restraint?

1. AUsing a gait belt while helping a patient walk in the corridor
2. BRaising all four side rails to stop a patient from getting out of bed
3. CPlacing the bed in its lowest position
4. DUsing a bed exit alarm for a patient at high risk of falling at night

A colleague has drawn up a medication and asks the nurse to give it to her patient. What should the nurse do?

1. AGive it, and document that the colleague prepared it
2. BGive it, as long as the syringe has a label with the drug name on it
3. CDecline, and give only medications that the nurse prepared or checked personally
4. DGive it, because the colleague is experienced

Which glove-removal technique is correct?

1. APeel the first off by its outside, then slide a bare finger under the second cuff
2. BPull both gloves off at the same time by the fingertips
3. CWash the gloved hands and reuse the gloves for the next task
4. DRemove the second glove by pinching its outside with the bare hand, then wash

A patient has botulism after eating contaminated food. Which precautions are needed?

1. AStandard precautions
2. BAirborne precautions
3. CDroplet precautions
4. DContact precautions

The fire alarm sounds, but the nurse does not know where the fire is. What should the nurse do?

1. AOpen all doors so patients can be seen easily
2. BLeave the unit and the building to find out where the fire is
3. CEvacuate all patients down the stairs at once, starting with those in bed
4. DClose the doors to patient rooms, stay on the unit and wait for instructions

A patient with suspected sepsis has orders for blood cultures and an IV antibiotic. What is the correct order of actions?

1. ADraw the blood cultures first, then give the antibiotic without delay
2. BGive the antibiotic first so that treatment starts, and take the cultures the next day
3. CWait for the culture results before starting the antibiotic
4. DGive the antibiotic and take the cultures an hour later