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🏥 GALEN NURSING SCHOOL
NSG 3180 – Communication & Teamwork
EXAM 2 – COMPLETE Q&A STUDY GUIDE
2026 Updated Edition | 60 Master Questions + Rotations | 6 High-Yield Sections
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Section 1 – SBAR & Handoff Communication (Q1–Q10)
• Section 2 – TeamSTEPPS Core Competencies (Q11–Q20)
• Section 3 – Therapeutic Communication (Q21–Q30)
• Section 4 – Conflict Resolution & Civility (Q31–Q40)
• Section 5 – Interprofessional Collaboration (Q41–Q50)
• Section 6 – Leadership, Delegation & Safety Culture (Q51–Q60)
SBAR & HANDOFF COMMUNICATION
Q1. A nurse calls the physician about a patient whose blood pressure has dropped to 88/54 mmHg.
Using the SBAR framework, which component is the nurse addressing when she states, 'He is a 67-
year-old male admitted yesterday for a TURP procedure'?
A) Situation
B) Background ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) Assessment
D) Recommendation
RATIONALE: The Background component of SBAR includes pertinent history: patient age, reason for
admission, and relevant medical context. The Situation is the current problem (hypotension), Assessment
is the nurse's clinical interpretation, and Recommendation is the suggested action.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q1R1. In SBAR communication, which component includes the nurse's clinical interpretation of the
patient's current problem?
A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment ✓
D) Recommendation
Q1R2. Which SBAR component would include the statement: 'I need you to come evaluate the patient
and consider a fluid bolus'?
A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment
,2
D) Recommendation ✓
Q2. A nurse is conducting a bedside shift report (BSR) and wants to ensure patient safety and
engagement. Which action BEST reflects evidence-based practice for BSR?
A) Conduct the entire report in the hallway to save time
B) Invite the patient and family to participate and ask questions ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) Read the electronic chart aloud without verbal additions
D) Limit the report to medications only to reduce distractions
RATIONALE: Evidence-based bedside shift reports improve patient satisfaction, safety, and continuity of
care when patients are actively involved. Hallway reporting violates HIPAA. Reading only the chart misses
real-time clinical nuances. Limiting to medications only omits critical safety information.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q2R1. Which of the following is a documented benefit of bedside shift report compared to traditional end-
of-hallway report?
A) Decreased patient satisfaction
B) Increased nursing overtime
C) Improved patient engagement and error identification ✓
D) Reduced documentation requirements
Q3. During handoff, a nurse uses the I-PASS mnemonic. The 'I' in I-PASS stands for:
A) Investigation
B) Illness severity ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) Interdisciplinary plan
D) Intervention priority
RATIONALE: I-PASS stands for Illness severity, Patient summary, Action list, Situation awareness and
contingency planning, and Synthesis by receiver. It is a structured handoff tool shown to reduce medical
errors.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q3R1. In the I-PASS handoff tool, what does the 'S' in Synthesis represent?
A) Safety concerns
B) Situation awareness
C) Summary by the receiver to confirm understanding ✓
D) Scheduled treatments
Q4. A float nurse is receiving a verbal handoff from the night nurse about a patient with chest pain.
The float nurse repeats key information back to verify accuracy. This technique is called:
A) Two-challenge rule
, 3
B) Closed-loop communication ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) DESC script
D) CUS assertion
RATIONALE: Closed-loop communication requires the receiver to read back or repeat critical information
to the sender, who then confirms or corrects. It is a key TeamSTEPPS strategy to prevent errors. The two-
challenge rule is for voicing safety concerns twice. DESC is a conflict script. CUS is an assertive phrase
set.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q4R1. Which TeamSTEPPS communication strategy requires the original sender to verify that the
received message was correct?
A) Situation monitoring
B) Brief
C) Closed-loop communication ✓
D) STEPPS checklist
Q5. Which of the following situations represents a 'critical' handoff communication failure that could
lead to patient harm?
A) The oncoming nurse is 2 minutes late to receive report
B) The outgoing nurse fails to mention a new allergy discovered during the shift ✓
CORRECT ANSWER
C) The nurses disagree about a patient's favorite food preference
D) Report is given in a noisy break room but all clinical information is accurate
RATIONALE: Failure to communicate a newly identified allergy is a critical handoff error that directly
endangers patient safety. It represents incomplete transfer of essential clinical data and is a leading
contributor to adverse events.
Q6. The PACE mnemonic used for patient handoffs stands for:
A) Patient, Assessment, Communication, Evaluation
B) Priority, Allergy, Concerns, Education
C) Patient summary, Actions, Contingency plan, Evaluation of understanding ✓ CORRECT
ANSWER
D) Problem, Action, Condition, Emergency plan
RATIONALE: PACE is a structured handoff communication tool. Each element ensures comprehensive
transfer: the Patient summary covers demographics/diagnosis, Actions lists pending tasks, Contingency
planning covers 'if-then' scenarios, and Evaluation confirms receiver comprehension.
Q7. A nurse hands off care for a patient with a tracheostomy. Which element is MOST important to
include in the handoff?
A) The patient's insurance information
B) Trach size, last suctioning time, cuff pressure, and emergency equipment location ✓
CORRECT ANSWER
🏥 GALEN NURSING SCHOOL
NSG 3180 – Communication & Teamwork
EXAM 2 – COMPLETE Q&A STUDY GUIDE
2026 Updated Edition | 60 Master Questions + Rotations | 6 High-Yield Sections
TABLE OF CONTENTS
• Section 1 – SBAR & Handoff Communication (Q1–Q10)
• Section 2 – TeamSTEPPS Core Competencies (Q11–Q20)
• Section 3 – Therapeutic Communication (Q21–Q30)
• Section 4 – Conflict Resolution & Civility (Q31–Q40)
• Section 5 – Interprofessional Collaboration (Q41–Q50)
• Section 6 – Leadership, Delegation & Safety Culture (Q51–Q60)
SBAR & HANDOFF COMMUNICATION
Q1. A nurse calls the physician about a patient whose blood pressure has dropped to 88/54 mmHg.
Using the SBAR framework, which component is the nurse addressing when she states, 'He is a 67-
year-old male admitted yesterday for a TURP procedure'?
A) Situation
B) Background ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) Assessment
D) Recommendation
RATIONALE: The Background component of SBAR includes pertinent history: patient age, reason for
admission, and relevant medical context. The Situation is the current problem (hypotension), Assessment
is the nurse's clinical interpretation, and Recommendation is the suggested action.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q1R1. In SBAR communication, which component includes the nurse's clinical interpretation of the
patient's current problem?
A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment ✓
D) Recommendation
Q1R2. Which SBAR component would include the statement: 'I need you to come evaluate the patient
and consider a fluid bolus'?
A) Situation
B) Background
C) Assessment
,2
D) Recommendation ✓
Q2. A nurse is conducting a bedside shift report (BSR) and wants to ensure patient safety and
engagement. Which action BEST reflects evidence-based practice for BSR?
A) Conduct the entire report in the hallway to save time
B) Invite the patient and family to participate and ask questions ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) Read the electronic chart aloud without verbal additions
D) Limit the report to medications only to reduce distractions
RATIONALE: Evidence-based bedside shift reports improve patient satisfaction, safety, and continuity of
care when patients are actively involved. Hallway reporting violates HIPAA. Reading only the chart misses
real-time clinical nuances. Limiting to medications only omits critical safety information.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q2R1. Which of the following is a documented benefit of bedside shift report compared to traditional end-
of-hallway report?
A) Decreased patient satisfaction
B) Increased nursing overtime
C) Improved patient engagement and error identification ✓
D) Reduced documentation requirements
Q3. During handoff, a nurse uses the I-PASS mnemonic. The 'I' in I-PASS stands for:
A) Investigation
B) Illness severity ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) Interdisciplinary plan
D) Intervention priority
RATIONALE: I-PASS stands for Illness severity, Patient summary, Action list, Situation awareness and
contingency planning, and Synthesis by receiver. It is a structured handoff tool shown to reduce medical
errors.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q3R1. In the I-PASS handoff tool, what does the 'S' in Synthesis represent?
A) Safety concerns
B) Situation awareness
C) Summary by the receiver to confirm understanding ✓
D) Scheduled treatments
Q4. A float nurse is receiving a verbal handoff from the night nurse about a patient with chest pain.
The float nurse repeats key information back to verify accuracy. This technique is called:
A) Two-challenge rule
, 3
B) Closed-loop communication ✓ CORRECT ANSWER
C) DESC script
D) CUS assertion
RATIONALE: Closed-loop communication requires the receiver to read back or repeat critical information
to the sender, who then confirms or corrects. It is a key TeamSTEPPS strategy to prevent errors. The two-
challenge rule is for voicing safety concerns twice. DESC is a conflict script. CUS is an assertive phrase
set.
↻ ROTATION VARIANTS (same concept, different angle)
Q4R1. Which TeamSTEPPS communication strategy requires the original sender to verify that the
received message was correct?
A) Situation monitoring
B) Brief
C) Closed-loop communication ✓
D) STEPPS checklist
Q5. Which of the following situations represents a 'critical' handoff communication failure that could
lead to patient harm?
A) The oncoming nurse is 2 minutes late to receive report
B) The outgoing nurse fails to mention a new allergy discovered during the shift ✓
CORRECT ANSWER
C) The nurses disagree about a patient's favorite food preference
D) Report is given in a noisy break room but all clinical information is accurate
RATIONALE: Failure to communicate a newly identified allergy is a critical handoff error that directly
endangers patient safety. It represents incomplete transfer of essential clinical data and is a leading
contributor to adverse events.
Q6. The PACE mnemonic used for patient handoffs stands for:
A) Patient, Assessment, Communication, Evaluation
B) Priority, Allergy, Concerns, Education
C) Patient summary, Actions, Contingency plan, Evaluation of understanding ✓ CORRECT
ANSWER
D) Problem, Action, Condition, Emergency plan
RATIONALE: PACE is a structured handoff communication tool. Each element ensures comprehensive
transfer: the Patient summary covers demographics/diagnosis, Actions lists pending tasks, Contingency
planning covers 'if-then' scenarios, and Evaluation confirms receiver comprehension.
Q7. A nurse hands off care for a patient with a tracheostomy. Which element is MOST important to
include in the handoff?
A) The patient's insurance information
B) Trach size, last suctioning time, cuff pressure, and emergency equipment location ✓
CORRECT ANSWER
