Medical Procedure and Patient Interaction Quiz

A patient comes in for a blood pressure check. You place the cuff on their arm and notice they’re talking and laughing with their friend. What should you do to ensure an accurate reading?

• Ignore it and continue the measurement

• Ask them to stop talking and sit quietly for a minute before starting

• Inflate the cuff higher to compensate

• Switch to the other arm immediately

A provider asks you to collect a fasting blood glucose test, but the patient tells you they had coffee with sugar 30 minutes ago. What is the most appropriate action?

• Proceed with the test

• Document it and still proceed

• Inform the provider before collecting the specimen

• Ask the patient to wait one hour before testing

You are preparing to perform an EKG, but the patient’s skin is very oily and moist from sweating. What should you do first?

• Place the electrodes directly

• Dry and clean the skin before attaching the electrodes

• Apply lotion to help electrodes stick

• Use more electrodes than needed

A patient with limited English proficiency arrives for an appointment. Their child offers to translate. What is the best approach?

• Accept the offer to save time

• Politely decline and arrange for a qualified medical interpreter

• Speak louder and slower to the patient

• Write everything down for the child to explain

While drawing blood, the patient becomes pale, starts sweating, and says they feel faint. What should you do first?

• Continue the draw quickly

• Remove the needle, lower their head, and call for assistance

• Offer them water

• Ask them to lie down after finishing

You notice a large amount of correction fluid on a patient’s paper chart entry. What is the correct action?

• Leave it alone

• Rewrite the entire page

• Draw a single line through the error, write “error,” and initial/date it

• Cover the mistake completely with new information

A patient is scheduled for a Pap smear but arrives menstruating heavily. What should you do?

• Proceed as planned

• Ask if they want to reschedule and notify the provider

• Give them pads and continue

• Send them home

You are taking a tympanic temperature, but the patient just came in from outside where it is below freezing. What should you do?

• Take the temperature right away

• Warm their ear with your hands before testing

• Wait at least 15 minutes before taking the measurement

• Switch to a rectal thermometer

During a urine specimen collection, the patient hands you a sample that is barely 10 mL. The order requires 30 mL minimum. What is your best next step?

• Send it to the lab anyway

• Ask the patient to provide the rest immediately if possible

• Add water to the sample

• Discard the sample and cancel the test

You are preparing to administer an intramuscular injection when you realize the medication label is partially smudged and unreadable. What should you do?

• Administer it anyway if you’re sure it’s correct

• Verify the medication with the pharmacy before proceeding

• Guess based on the vial color

• Discard the medication immediately