Infection control & patient safety worksheet with answers

What is an adverse event in patient safety?

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

What do staff usually wear when entering the room of a patient on droplet precautions?

1. AAn N95 respirator only
2. BA full hazmat suit
3. CA surgical mask
4. DSterile gloves

A patient is colonized with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Which precautions are used?

1. ADroplet precautions
2. BAirborne precautions
3. CProtective (reverse) isolation
4. DContact precautions

Before giving a tablet, the patient says, “This pill looks different from my usual one.” What should the nurse do?

1. ATell the patient that all pills look different in hospital
2. BGive half the pill and watch for any unusual effects
3. CStop and recheck the order and the drug before giving it
4. DReassure the patient and give the pill

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

How is a urine specimen for culture obtained from an indwelling catheter?

1. AFrom the sampling port, after cleaning it, using aseptic technique
2. BBy removing the catheter and sending its tip for culture
3. CFrom the urine already collected in the drainage bag at the bedside
4. DBy disconnecting the catheter from the drainage tubing

Which action best prevents a wrong-route error with an epidural infusion?

1. ATape all the lines together to keep them tidy
2. BUse the same pump type and tubing for all of the patient’s infusions
3. CLabel the epidural line and keep it on its own dedicated pump
4. DUse a free IV port if the epidural port becomes blocked

A patient with severe dementia gets out of bed alone at night and has fallen twice. Which plan is most appropriate?

1. ATying the patient into the chair overnight
2. BA sedative every night to keep the patient in bed
3. CLow bed, bed alarm, toileting rounds, night light and nonslip socks
4. DFour raised side rails, with the door closed at night for quiet