Chapter 21 Safety

Physiological changes, such as reduced muscle strength and joint mobility, which are associated with aging, place the older adult patient at an increased risk for which nursing diagnosis?

• Risk for falls

• Risk for ineffective airway clearance (choking)

• Risk for poisoning

• Risk for suffocation (drowning)

The nurse will teach the patient that the most common causes of death related to a house fire are:

• Explosions.

• Falls from second-story windows.

• Thermal damage to skin and body surfaces.

• Smoke inhalation injuries.

The nurse assigned to teaching a new parent on proper infant car seat positioning will explain that it is recommended that the child be placed in a forward-facing car seat at which age at the oldest?

• 1 year

• 2 years

• 3 years

• 4 years

• 5 years

While eating in the hospital cafeteria, a nurse sees a visitor display the “universal sign of choking.” Which action should the nurse take first?

• Page a “Code Blue” emergency.

• Immediately perform five abdominal thrusts.

• Assess the situation by asking, “Are you choking?”

• Deliver four sharp back blows between the scapulae.

A nurse is teaching a group of parents about first aid. If mercury comes in contact with their child’s clothing and/or skin, which action should the nurse instruct the parents to take first?

• Flood the contaminated area with luckwarm water.

• Removing the contaminated clothing immediately.

• Wash the contamainted area with soap and water and rinse.

• Call the nearest posion control center immediately

Which of the following instructions is most important for the nurse to include when teaching a 3-year-old’s parent about protecting their child against accidental poisoning?

• Store medications on countertops out of the child’s reach.

• Purchase medication in child-resistant containers.

• Take medications in front of the child, and explain that they are for adults only.

• Never leave the child unattended around medications or cleaning solutions.

A patient is brought to the emergency department after inhaling mercury. The nurse taking care of this patient should be alert for which acute adverse effects associated with mercury inhalation?

• Chest pain, pneumonitis, and inflammation of the mouth

• Intestinal obstruction and numbness of hands

• Hypotension, oliguria, and tingling of feet

• Tachycardia, hematuria, and diaphoresis

When the use of a restraint is necessary, what task can the nurse delegate to the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP)?

• Assessing the patient’s status

• Determining the need for restraint

• Evaluating the patient’s response to restraints

• Applying and removing the restraints

The nurse suspects a 3-year-old child who is coughing vigorously has aspirated a small object. Which action should the nurse take first?

• Encourage the child to continue coughing.

• Deliver upward abdominal thrusts with a fisted hand.

• Complete five rapid back blows between the shoulder blades.

• Perform a blind finger sweep of the child’s mouth.

Which of the following is the most commonly reported incident in hospitals?

• Equipment malfunction

• Patient falls

• laboratory specimen errors

• Treatment delays