Question 1

A public health nurse in the state's health department notes that various facilities in a large community are reporting increased numbers of whooping cough. What should be the nurse's first response?

Accepted Answer

The first step would be to gather more information to determine what the problem most likely would be. The use of big data from the area would allow the nurse to compare the number of cases against the number of individuals with current immunizations to determine if this is truly a problem and a possible epidemic. After determining what the problem most likely is, it would be the time to organize an event and encourage immunizations. Whooping cough or pertussis is a reportable disease to the CDC; however, the nurse is responsible for the health of the community and just reporting the cases would not address the problem.

Question 2

A public health nurse has been meeting with a group of clients who have recently been diagnosed with HIV. The nurse has noted improved appointment compliance among the group with the use of which technique?

Accepted Answer

Text messages are the initial, simplest, and most common type of mobile data service and are becoming a vital tool for the delivery of health information and engaging users to improve their health. It is a way of connecting quickly with a large population. The use of text messaging has been advocated for people living with HIV as a means of improving health quality and preventing complications. The other choices are not as effective.

Question 3

A community health nurse working with a local community has found entering into a contract with clients to be very beneficial, and positive results are being achieved. Which concept does the nurse recognize to best explain this successful outcome?

Accepted Answer

The nurse and the client contribute to the formulation of the contract, thus fostering client's participation in decisions regarding the direction and activities within the contract. Contracting also involves commitment, format, and negotiation. Contributing to trust, decreasing client's stress, and reducing visit time are not considered benefits associated with contracting.

Question 4

A community health nurse and a client are negotiating a contract for home health services. After agreeing on the shared goals, which statement/question by the nurse would be most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Setting a projected completion date would follow deciding on the shared goals, which is part of the planning stage. The evaluation stage would involve looking at the plan at the next appointment to determine if there need to be any changes. Asking the client what he or she would like to accomplish would be part of establishing the goals. Renegotiation would occur after the plan had been in effect for a while, especially if the original plan was not working as expected.

Question 5

An instructor is role-playing with a group of students by negotiating a contract to demonstrate the proper format. After the completion of the role-playing, which statement by the students indicates understanding of the process?

Accepted Answer

Contracting is a dynamic process that moves through phases. It forms a reciprocal relationship between clients, nurse, and other persons. The process moves forward, focused on meeting clients' needs, and enables the collaborating group to facilitate ultimate achievement of clients' goals.

Question 6

A public health nurse is reviewing information sent from various facilities in a large community and notes an unexpected increase in the cases of Lyme disease. Which resource is available to assist this nurse in planning an appropriate response?

Accepted Answer

The use of the GIS system will enable the nurse to quickly gather the necessary information, which is compiled from various sources of seemingly unrelated facts. It will give the nurse better understanding of the current situation, as well as plan for appropriate interventions and monitor the situation. The other choices would not provide a response that would be as quick or complete.

Question 7

A client is surprised that the public health nurse does not ask many questions concerning the past medical history but appears to already know it. What is the best response by the nurse to address the client's concerns?

Accepted Answer

One of the most beneficial advantages of using EHRs is the ability to enter data once and reuse them multiple times. This capability reduces redundancy and can reduce errors by providing the history from previous encounters. When an individual is readmitted, the previous data can be reviewed and update with the goal of decreasing charting time and improving continuity of care. The past history should always be reviewed as there may be something relevant for the current visit. The nurse should not wait to review the past history but do it while with the client, so any questions can be addressed at that time. Expecting a former nurse to provide the details would be unethical and inappropriate, since the chances are great that the nurse would not remember all the details.

Question 8

A public health nurse is preparing a report for the town council concerning a specific health concern and is researching specific information to share. Which option will provide the nurse with the best information?

Accepted Answer

The use of big data makes it easier to drill down or view more detailed information, which will enable the nurse to see specifics about the situation that can then be shared. Sample surveys may not provide enough information or accurate information if the wrong population is questioned. To drill up big data is to see the data in an aggregate view, which would possibly not provide enough specific information to make an informed decision. Reviewing the EHRs may not provide enough information if the individuals in question are using other facilities outside the local community being questioned.

Question 9

A public health nurse is responsible for teaching school-aged children how to live with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The nurse has utilized various approaches and techniques to help these young clients learn and cope with their challenges. The nurse recognizes which video game can be very effective to achieve this goal?

Accepted Answer

Video games are providing a unique method to teach clients how to deal with their chronic conditions, especially in the younger population. Packy and Marlon is a video game designed to encourage children to correctly manage their insulin levels and food intake to "win" at the game. Snow World is a game used for burn pain to provide a distraction during wound care. Bronkie the Bronchiasaurus is a video game for children with asthma. SpiroGame is for preschool children with compromised lung function.

Question 10

A public health nurse has noticed a trend in the number of clients with low compliance in routine health maintenance from a certain area in the state. Which resource can the nurse use to best justify the creation of a new public health clinic?

Accepted Answer

Public health uses of GIS include tracking child immunizations, evaluating the spread and clustering of diseases, conducting health policy research, and establishing service areas and districts. Medical information is significantly more useful when combined with knowledge of the environmental factors associated with clients, locations, and conditions. A health system utilizing GIS technology will provide a more precise understanding of the links between an individual's health and where they reside, work, and play. The other choices may be included in the GIS information.

Quiz 10: Communication, Collaboration, and Technology