Deck 1: Overview of Critical Care Nursing

Question 1

The most important outcome of effective communication is to:

A) demonstrate caring practices to family members.
B) ensure that patient teaching is done.
C) meet the diversity needs of patients.
D) reduce patient errors.

Answer 1

reduce patient errors.

Question 2

Which of the following is (are)official journal(s)of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses? (Select all that apply.)

A) American Journal of Critical Care
B) Critical Care Clinics of North America
C) Critical Care Nurse
D) Critical Care Nursing Quarterly

Answer 2

American Journal of Critical Care
Critical Care Nurse

Question 3

You work in an intermediate care unit that has experienced high nursing turnover.The nurse manager is often considered to be an autocratic leader by staff members and her leadership style is contributing to turnover.You have asked to be involved in developing new guidelines to prevent pressure ulcers in your patient population.The nurse manager tells you that you do not yet have enough experience to be on the prevention task force.This situation and setting is an example of:

A) a barrier to handoff communication.
B) a work environment that is unhealthy.
C) ineffective decision making.
D) nursing practice that is not evidence-based.

Answer 3

a work environment that is unhealthy.

Question 4

The synergy model of practice focuses on:

A) allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day.
B) holistic and alternative therapies.
C) needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency.
D) patients' needs for energy and support.

Question 5

The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit.She assigns the experienced,certified nurse to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who also requires continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation.She assigns the nurse with less than 1 year of experience to two patients who are more stable.This assignment reflects implementation of the:

A) crew resource management model
B) National Patient Safety Goals
C) Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model
D) synergy model of practice

Question 6

Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal? (Select all that apply.)

A) Accurately identify patients.
B) Eliminate use of patient restraints.
C) Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
D) Reduce risks of healthcare-acquired infection.

Question 7

The vision of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is a healthcare system driven by:

A) a healthy work environment.
B) care from a multiprofessional team under the direction of a critical care physician.
C) the needs of critically ill patients and families.
D) respectful, healing, and humane environments.

Question 8

A nurse has been working as a staff nurse in the surgical intensive care unit for 2 years and is interested in certification.Which credential would be most applicable for her to seek?

A) ACNPC
B) CCNS
C) CCRN
D) PCCN

Question 9

The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician in over 24 hours and they have some questions that they want clarified.During morning rounds,you convey this concern to the attending intensivist and arrange for her to meet with the family at 4:00 PM in the conference room.Which competency of critical care nursing does this represent?

A) Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
B) Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
C) Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
D) Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members

Question 10

Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing practice?

A) American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
B) American Heart Association
C) American Nurses Association
D) Society of Critical Care Medicine

Question 11

Which of the following assists the critical care nurse in ensuring that care is appropriate and based on research?

A) Clinical practice guidelines
B) Computerized physician order entry
C) Consulting with advanced practice nurses
D) Implementing Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals

Question 12

As part of nursing management of a critically ill patient,orders are written to keep the head of the bed elevated at 30 degrees,awaken the patient from sedation each morning to assess readiness to wean from mechanical ventilation,and implement oral care protocols every 4 hours.These interventions are done as a group to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated pneumonia.This group of evidence-based interventions is often called a:

A) bundle of care.
B) clinical practice guideline.
C) patient safety goal.
D) quality improvement initiative.

Question 13

The AACN Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice use what framework to guide critical care nursing practice?

A) Evidence-based practice
B) Healthy work environment
C) National Patient Safety Goals
D) Nursing process

Question 14

The main purpose of certification is to:

A) assure the consumer that you will not make a mistake.
B) prepare for graduate school.
C) promote magnet status for your facility.
D) validate knowledge of critical care nursing.

Question 15

The family members of a critically ill,90-year-old patient bring in a copy of the patient's living will to the hospital,which identifies the patient's wishes regarding health care.You discuss contents of the living will with the patient's physician.This is an example of implementation of which of the AACN Standards of Professional Performance?

A) Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
B) Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
C) Considers factors related to safe patient care
D) Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice

Question 16

A nurse who plans care based on the patient's gender,ethnicity,spirituality,and lifestyle is said to:

A) be a moral advocate.
B) facilitate learning.
C) respond to diversity.
D) use clinical judgment.

Question 17

Comparing the patient's current (home)medications with those ordered during hospitalization and communicating a complete list of medications to the next provider when the patient is transferred within an organization or to another setting are strategies to:

A) improve accuracy of patient identification.
B) prevent errors related to look-alike and sound-alike medications.
C) reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
D) reduce harms associated with administration of anticoagulants.

Question 18

The first critical care units were: (Select all that apply.)

A) burn units.
B) coronary care units
C) recovery rooms.
D) neonatal intensive care units.

Question 19

Which of the following statements describes the core concept of the synergy model of practice?

A) All nurses must be certified in order to have the synergy model implemented.
B) Family members must be included in daily interdisciplinary rounds.
C) Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively and synergistically to influence care.
D) Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies.

Question 20

You are caring for a critically ill patient whose urine output has been low for 2 consecutive hours.After a thorough patient assessment,you call the intensivist with the following report.Dr.Smith,I'm calling about Mrs.P.,your 65-year-old patient in CCU 10.Her urine output for the past 2 hours totaled only 40 mL.She arrived from surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm 4 hours ago and remains on mechanical ventilation.In the past 2 hours,her heart rate has increased from 80 to 100 beats per minute and her blood pressure has decreased from 128/82 to 100/70 mm Hg.She is being given an infusion of normal saline at 100 mL per hour.Her right atrial pressure through the subclavian central line is low at 3 mm Hg.Her urine is concentrated.Her BUN and creatinine levels have been stable and in normal range.Her abdominal dressing is dry with no indication of bleeding.My assessment suggests that Mrs.P.is hypovolemic and I would like you to consider increasing her fluids or giving her a fluid challenge.Using the SBAR model for communication,the information the nurse gives about the patient's history and vital signs is:

A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment
D) Recommendation

Question 21

Which scenarios contribute to effective handoff communication at change of shift? (Select all that apply.)

A) The nephrology consultant physician is making rounds and asks you to update her on the patient's status and assist in placing a central line for hemodialysis.
B) The noise level is high because twice as many staff members are present and everyone is giving report in the nurse's station.
C) The unit has decided to use a standardized checklist/tool for change-of-shift reports and patient transfers.
D) You and the oncoming nurse conduct a standardized report at the patient's bedside and review key assessment findings.

Question 22

Which strategy is important to addressing issues associated with the aging workforce? (Select all that apply.)

A) Allowing nurses to work flexible shift durations
B) Encouraging older nurses to transfer to an outpatient setting that is less stressful
C) Hiring nurse technicians that are available to assist with patient care, such as turning the patient
D) Remodeling patient care rooms to include devices to assist in patient lifting

Question 23

Which of the following strategies will assist in creating a healthy work environment for the critical care nurse? (Select all that apply.)

A) Celebrating improved outcomes from a nurse-driven protocol with a pizza party
B) Implementing a medication safety program designed by pharmacists
C) Modifying the staffing pattern to ensure a 1:1 nurse/patient ratio
D) Offering quarterly joint nurse-physician workshops to discuss unit issues
E) Using the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) technique for handoff communication

Question 24

Which of the following nursing activities demonstrates implementation of the AACN Standards of Professional Performance? (Select all that apply.)

A) Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses in which a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
B) Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the patient and family
C) Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
D) Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on management of venous thromboembolism for your colleagues to read
E) Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia
F) None of above