Infection control & patient safety worksheet with answers

What is an adverse event in patient safety?

1. AA side effect that is listed and explained before treatment
2. BHarm to a patient caused by health care, not by the illness
3. CA complaint from a patient about the hospital food
4. DAn error that is noticed before it reaches the patient

A nurse notices a frayed electrical cord on an infusion pump. What should the nurse do?

1. AAsk the patient not to touch the cord
2. BTake the pump out of use, label it as faulty and report it
3. CKeep using it carefully until the end of the shift, then report it
4. DWrap the cord in electrical tape and continue using it

Malaria is passed to people through the bite of an infected mosquito. Which mode of transmission is this?

1. AAirborne transmission
2. BDroplet transmission
3. CDirect contact transmission
4. DVector-borne transmission

A patient on nasal cannula oxygen has dry lips. Which product should the nurse offer?

1. AAn oil-based lip balm
2. BA scented petroleum ointment
3. CPetroleum jelly
4. DA water-based lip lubricant

How should a portable oxygen cylinder be kept in a patient’s room?

1. APlaced next to a heater to keep it warm
2. BLaid on the bed next to the patient
3. CLying loose on the floor beside the bed
4. DSecured upright in a stand or holder

Which patient has the highest risk of a burn from a heating pad?

1. AA healthy young adult with a strained muscle
2. BA patient recovering from a cold
3. CA patient with diabetic peripheral neuropathy
4. DA patient with a sprained wrist who is fully alert

A handwritten order is hard to read, and the nurse is not sure of the drug name. What should the nurse do?

1. AContact the prescriber to clarify before giving anything
2. BAsk a colleague to guess what it says
3. CHold the drug until the next day without telling anyone
4. DChoose the drug that seems most likely from the diagnosis

A patient’s white cell differential shows a raised eosinophil count. Which cause is most consistent with this finding?

1. AAn acute bacterial infection
2. BAn allergic reaction or a parasitic infection
3. CA viral infection such as a cold
4. DBone marrow suppression from chemotherapy