CHUC Review

The hospitalist wrote an order to obtain records from another hospital from a patient’s previous admission. The health unit coordinator would:

• Contact the patient’s doctor to obtain the patient’s signature on an information release form and to request the records

• obtain the patient’s signature on an information release form and fax the form to the health information management department at the other hospital after calling to request the records

• obtain the patient’s signature on an information release form and notify the admissions clerk

• call the health care records department at the other hospital and ask staff members to fax the patient’s records

The surgeon wrote an “NPO 2400 hr” order for a patient who is having an open reduction of the right femur at 1330 tomorrow. An hour later, the anesthesiologist came by to write preop orders and ordered a clear liquid breakfast at 0600, then NPO. The health unit coordinator would

• order the NPO 2400 hr and ignore the second order

• check with the surgery department

• order the clear liquid breakfast, then NPO as written in the second order

• notify the patient’s nurse, who would ask that the surgeon be called to clarify the order

A CBC was ordered on the wrong patient. Results came back with an elevated WBC. A correct action for the HUC to take would be to

• place the results in the chart of the patient with the elevated WBC and order the CBC on the correct patient

• order the CBC on the correct patient and discard the CBC results that were done in error

• notify the patient’s nurse of the elevated WBC with the explanation that the CBC was done by mistake, then order the CBC on the correct patient

• call the doctor who ordered the test and explain the situation

A patient is hemorrhaging, and the nurse asks Jim, the health unit coordinator, to call the blood bank to check on the unit of blood that was ordered for the patient. A doctor arrives at the same time and asks the HUC to assist in locating a patient’s chart, and a visitor is asking for the location of a patient who was transferred to another unit. The best way for Jim to handle these requests would be to:

• tell the doctor and the visitor that there is no time to help them and then place the call to the blood bank

• obtain lab results for the doctor, find the patient location for the visitor, then call the blood bank

• ask the nurse what to do

• advise the doctor and the visitor that there is a call to be made and he would be glad to assist them after he has made the call

A fire in the visitor’s lounge is reported. The appropriate reaction for the HUC would be to:

• evacuate patients from the nursing unit

• close all patient doors

• collect and remove all charts from the nursing unit

• do nothing; the health unit coordinator job is nonclinical

A hard copy of a transcribed doctor’s order refers to

• the original written doctor’s order

• the pharmacy copy of the order

• a duplicate copy of the order from the computer printer

• phone orders written by the nurse

A patient tells the health unit coordinator that a CNA has been very rude. An appropriate HUC response would be to:

• report the complaint to the patient’s nurse

• report the complaint to the nurse manager

• place a call to the patient’s doctor

• do nothing; patients are not the responsibility of the health unit coordinator

A patient’s mother has been staying with her son around the clock and tells the health unit coordinator that she has not eaten and has no money. What would be the most appropriate response?

• Lend her some money

• Do nothing

• Call social services

• Give her some food from the unit kitchen

A visitor is observed entering an isolation room without a gown and mask. The HUC’s best action would be to:

• ask the visitor if he can read signs

• do nothing; this is not the concern of the health unit coordinator

• tell the patient’s nurse

• advise the visitor that a gown and mask has to be worn while he is visiting the patient

A student health unit coordinator is assigned to complete his clinical training on a busy pediatrics nursing unit with an experienced health unit coordinator. The student has made numerous errors while transcribing patient orders and does not seem at all competent. The best action for the experienced HUC to take would be to:

• wait another week to see if the situation improves

• refuse to allow the student to transcribe patient orders, but allow him to observe until the clinical rotation has ended

• advise the student’s instructor and the nurse manager right away

• just recheck all orders that the student transcribes, correct the errors, and say nothing