Question 1

A nurse has been hired by the PHD to perform family planning services. The position was formed as the result of categorical funds obtained from a federal grant. This means that the nurse will need to:

Accepted Answer

B

Question 2

A nurse working in a primary care office is caring for a young woman with a new diagnosis of syphilis. The young woman is horrified and asks the nurse if she has to tell anyone about the diagnosis. How should the nurse respond?

Accepted Answer

B

Question 3

A nurse is beginning employment at a local health department and reviewing the job description and the functions that fall under the purview of the health department. Which of the following is not one of the six minimum functions as named by the American Public Health Association (APHA)?

Accepted Answer

The six minimum functions as named by the American Public Health Association (APHA) are: 1) Assessment and monitoring of the health of communities and populations at risk to identify health problems and priorities; 2) Formulation of public policies designed to solve identified local and national health problems and priorities; 3) Assurance that all populations have access to appropriate and cost-effective care, including health promotion and disease prevention services; 4) Development of partnerships with communities, public and private organizations, and individuals to identify and solve health problems; 5) Maintaining a competent public health workforce, including ongoing training and continuing education of personnel; and 6) Evaluation of the effectiveness, accessibility, and quality of personal and population-based health services. Promotion of elder health and safety is not included as one of the six minimum functions.

Question 4

A nurse is working with a public health department (PHD). They have set a goal to expand their role by including direct, individualized patient care. The PHD has little to no funding available for this project. Which of the following is a key method that PHD's use to fund provision of direct care?

Accepted Answer

Opening a federally qualified health center (FQHC) is a common method for public health departments to fund provision of direct care. FQHCs receive federal funding to provide primary care services to underserved populations, and PHDs can partner with them to expand their role in direct patient care without having to rely solely on their own funding. Option A may be a possibility, but it is not a typical or sustainable means of funding. Option B would rely solely on volunteerism and may not be feasible long-term. Option D may not be possible if the PHD is already operating on a tight budget.

Question 5

A PHN is reviewing the birth data collection forms for birth certificates. The PHN is checking that the forms contain at least which of the following pieces of information? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A PHN is reviewing the birth data...

Question 6

A nurse has just accepted a job with the local public health department. The nurse will be responsible for monitoring and managing the vital statistics. What data will be tracked? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The vital statistics that will be tracked include births, marriages, divorces, and deaths. Communicable diseases are not traditionally considered vital statistics, although they may be monitored by public health departments.

Question 7

A PHN has accepted a new position with the local PHD. While reviewing the records the PHN notices that the last community health assessment was completed 4 years ago. What should the PHN do?

Accepted Answer

A full community health assessment should be performed, as per the protocol. A lot can change in 4 years in a community, and it is important to have up-to-date information to inform health interventions and allocation of resources.

Question 8

An occupational nurse has a worker complaining of flu-like symptoms. The CDC had recently released an alert regarding a new strain of influenza that has been at epidemic levels in their city. How does the nurse proceed?

Accepted Answer

The nurse should notify the public health department and begin epidemiological screening of the worker's coworkers to identify any potential outbreak and prevent further spread of the new strain of influenza. Sending the worker home or to their PCP may not be sufficient to address the public health concern.

Question 9

A PHN is presenting a lecture to a group of nursing students about the need for public health nurses. Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

There are severe shortages in PHN faculty members, which impacts the ability to train new public health nurses.

Question 10

A PHN is working in the public health department in San Diego County. After a recent storm, the department begins to conduct water testing to ensure that the ocean water is safe to swim in. Testing results reveal that the level of bacteria is 10 times the acceptable limit. How does the nurse proceed?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A PHN is working in the public...

Question 11

A nurse is evaluating the lack of prenatal care in many of the women in the community. The nurse is looking to obtain information about the rate of certain risk factors in the county. What resource should the nurse check?

Accepted Answer

The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) collects data on health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services, which can provide insights into risk factors in the community.

Question 12

A major wildfire has struck a town in California. The firefighters have finally put the fire out, but there are large sections of several communities that have been destroyed. How should the nurse intervene during the immediate recovery phase?

Accepted Answer

As a nurse, the best choice would be to go into the community to assess the needs of the displaced residents. This will help the nurse gain an understanding of the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of those affected. Additionally, the nurse can provide essential support to individuals as they attempt to come to terms with the aftermath of the disaster. While revising emergency preparedness plans is important, that is a task for emergency management personnel, while first responders should be left in charge of controlling the immediate needs of the situation.

Question 13

A nurse is teaching a class about public health nursing. A student asks about the core public health functions that help shape the work of public health nurses (PHN) working within the health department. Which of the following is not one of the core public health functions the nurse would list?

Accepted Answer

The core public health functions are assessment, policy development, and assurance. Diminishment of health disparities is an important goal but not one of the core functions.

Question 14

A PHN is working with coworkers to track an outbreak of a new virus. They need additional help in visualizing the location and density of the victims. What tool should they consider using?

Accepted Answer

GIS (Geographic Information System) is a tool that can be used to visualize and analyze spatial and geographic data, making it ideal for tracking the location and density of victims in an outbreak.

Question 15

A nurse working at a PHD received a phone call from a nurse who works on the labor and delivery floor at the local hospital. The nurse reports that they are seeing many more women and their children coming into the hospital with inadequate nutrition. They wish to partner with the PHD on a project that addresses this issue. Where should they begin?

Accepted Answer

Before taking any action, it is important to conduct a community and cultural assessment to understand the specific needs and challenges of the community in which they are working. This will enable the nurses and PHD to tailor their approach and solutions to the specific needs of the population, rather than making assumptions or using a one-size-fits-all approach.

Question 16

A PHN is reviewing immunization rates for the students in the county. The PHN observes that the rate is significantly lower for incoming kindergartners than it has been in years past. After performing a community assessment, the PHN finds that many of the unvaccinated children have parents who have less than a high school education level and whose income is at or below the poverty level. Which of the following interventions may be successful at boosting immunization rates in the county? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A PHN is reviewing immunization rates for...

Question 17

A nurse is looking to improve communication about emergency situations with the young adults aged 18 to 2

Accepted Answer

Text messages are likely to be the most effective method for emergency communication with young adults as this demographic is more likely to rely on mobile devices for communication and prefer fast, concise communication. Email alerts may be less effective as young adults may not check their email frequently enough, and radio/television alerts may not reach young adults who do not own or regularly use these devices.

Question 18

A PHN is counseling a young man who has positive acid-fast bacillus (AFB) sputum-smear results. Which of the following statements about what to expect during his TB treatment is incorrect?

Accepted Answer

The statement is incorrect because public health protocols require that contacts of a person with active TB be identified and possibly tested, despite privacy concerns, to prevent the spread of the disease.

Question 19

A nurse wishes to involve the local health department in planning a community-wide intervention. The nurse calls the reception area to determine how best to involve the health department and learns that it is run by the local government in conjunction with the local board of health, also known as a ____ system.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A nurse wishes to involve the local...

Question 20

A PHN has decided to use the MAPP tool to address the issue of domestic violence in the community. As the PHD has never used this tool before, the PHN obtains specialized training for which of the following assessment tools? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A PHN has decided to use the...

Quiz 14: Health Planning for Local Public Health Departments