Infection control & patient safety worksheet with answers

Which finding suggests a systemic infection rather than only a local one?

1. AMild swelling at an injection site
2. BRedness around a small cut
3. CFever with a raised heart rate
4. DSlight tenderness around an IV site

Where must sterile items be held to stay sterile?

1. AAbove waist level and in front of the nurse
2. BBehind the back
3. CAny level, as long as nothing non-sterile touches it
4. DBelow the waist

Why should a trailing zero (for example “5.0 mg”) not be written in a medication order?

1. AIt makes the dose ten times too small if misread
2. BA missed decimal point turns it into 50 mg
3. CIt can change the drug name on the label
4. DIt is only allowed for intravenous drugs

Hair must be removed from a planned surgical site. Which method reduces the risk of surgical site infection?

1. AShaving with a disposable razor the night before surgery
2. BUsing wax strips on the morning of surgery
3. CClipping with electric clippers just before surgery
4. DShaving with a razor just before the incision

Which instruction about using a standard walker is correct?

1. AWalk well ahead of the walker for balance
2. BPush up from the walker to stand from a chair
3. CCarry the walker and use it only when tired
4. DMove the walker forward, then step into it

A person in scrubs without a hospital ID badge asks to take a newborn to the nursery. What should the nurse do?

1. ALet the parents decide whether to hand the baby over
2. BRefuse, keep the baby with the mother and alert security
3. CAsk the person their name and then give them the baby
4. DHand over the baby if the person seems confident

A competent adult patient with pneumonia wants to leave the hospital against medical advice. What should the nurse do?

1. AApply wrist restraints until the provider arrives to speak with the patient
2. BHide the patient’s clothes and belongings so that they cannot leave the ward
3. CExplain the risks, notify the provider and follow the policy for leaving against advice
4. DLock the doors so the patient cannot leave

A patient’s WBC is 4,000/mm³, with 30% neutrophils and 5% bands. What is the absolute neutrophil count (ANC)?

1. A3,500/mm³
2. B140/mm³
3. C1,400/mm³
4. D1,200/mm³