Environmental Health and Disaster Preparedness Exam 2026
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is using the ‘I PREPARE’ mnemonic to assess a client’s environmental
exposure. What does the ‘I’ in the mnemonic represent?
A. Investigate potential exposures
B. Identify the hazard
C. Inquire about symptoms
D. Intervene immediately
Answer: A
Rationale: In the I PREPARE mnemonic, the ‘I’ stands for Investigate potential exposures,
which involves asking questions about current and past exposures.
2. Which of the following is considered secondary prevention regarding
environmental health?
A. Screening children for elevated blood lead levels
B. Educating a group of parents on how to reduce lead exposure
C. Advocating for better air quality regulations
D. Providing treatment for a child with lead poisoning
Answer: A
Rationale: Screening is a secondary prevention measure aimed at early detection.
Education and advocacy are primary, while treatment is tertiary.
,3. In a mass casualty incident, a nurse triages a victim who is conscious, has a
respiratory rate of 24/min, a radial pulse, and follows simple commands. Which
color tag should the nurse assign?
A. Yellow
B. Red
C. Green
D. Black
Answer: A
Rationale: The victim is stable enough to wait for a short period (Yellow tag) as their
respiratory rate is under 30, they have a pulse, and they are mentally alert.
4. A community health nurse is teaching a family about disaster preparedness.
How many days’ worth of water should the nurse recommend the family store
for each person?
A. 1 day
B. 14 days
C. 7 days
D. 3 days
Answer: D
Rationale: Standard disaster preparedness guidelines (FEMA/Red Cross) recommend at
least a 3-day supply of water for evacuation and a 2-week supply for home.
5. During the recovery phase of a disaster, which of the following is a priority
intervention for the community health nurse?
A. Conducting a rapid triage of victims
B. Providing mental health support and counseling
C. Developing a disaster response plan
D. Participating in a mock disaster drill
Answer: B
, Rationale: The recovery phase focuses on restoring the community and providing
psychological support to help victims cope with the trauma.
6. Which environmental hazard is an odorless, colorless gas that is the second
leading cause of lung cancer in the United States?
A. Radon
B. Carbon monoxide
C. Asbestos
D. Sulfur dioxide
Answer: A
Rationale: Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can accumulate in homes
and is a significant cause of lung cancer.
7. A nurse is triaging victims at the scene of a building collapse. A victim is not
breathing, and after the airway is opened, the victim still does not breathe.
Which tag should be applied?
A. Red
B. Purple
C. Yellow
D. Black
Answer: D
Rationale: In the START triage system, if a victim is not breathing and does not start after a
simple airway maneuver, they are tagged Black (deceased/expectant).
|Questions |Answers |Rationales
1. A nurse is using the ‘I PREPARE’ mnemonic to assess a client’s environmental
exposure. What does the ‘I’ in the mnemonic represent?
A. Investigate potential exposures
B. Identify the hazard
C. Inquire about symptoms
D. Intervene immediately
Answer: A
Rationale: In the I PREPARE mnemonic, the ‘I’ stands for Investigate potential exposures,
which involves asking questions about current and past exposures.
2. Which of the following is considered secondary prevention regarding
environmental health?
A. Screening children for elevated blood lead levels
B. Educating a group of parents on how to reduce lead exposure
C. Advocating for better air quality regulations
D. Providing treatment for a child with lead poisoning
Answer: A
Rationale: Screening is a secondary prevention measure aimed at early detection.
Education and advocacy are primary, while treatment is tertiary.
,3. In a mass casualty incident, a nurse triages a victim who is conscious, has a
respiratory rate of 24/min, a radial pulse, and follows simple commands. Which
color tag should the nurse assign?
A. Yellow
B. Red
C. Green
D. Black
Answer: A
Rationale: The victim is stable enough to wait for a short period (Yellow tag) as their
respiratory rate is under 30, they have a pulse, and they are mentally alert.
4. A community health nurse is teaching a family about disaster preparedness.
How many days’ worth of water should the nurse recommend the family store
for each person?
A. 1 day
B. 14 days
C. 7 days
D. 3 days
Answer: D
Rationale: Standard disaster preparedness guidelines (FEMA/Red Cross) recommend at
least a 3-day supply of water for evacuation and a 2-week supply for home.
5. During the recovery phase of a disaster, which of the following is a priority
intervention for the community health nurse?
A. Conducting a rapid triage of victims
B. Providing mental health support and counseling
C. Developing a disaster response plan
D. Participating in a mock disaster drill
Answer: B
, Rationale: The recovery phase focuses on restoring the community and providing
psychological support to help victims cope with the trauma.
6. Which environmental hazard is an odorless, colorless gas that is the second
leading cause of lung cancer in the United States?
A. Radon
B. Carbon monoxide
C. Asbestos
D. Sulfur dioxide
Answer: A
Rationale: Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that can accumulate in homes
and is a significant cause of lung cancer.
7. A nurse is triaging victims at the scene of a building collapse. A victim is not
breathing, and after the airway is opened, the victim still does not breathe.
Which tag should be applied?
A. Red
B. Purple
C. Yellow
D. Black
Answer: D
Rationale: In the START triage system, if a victim is not breathing and does not start after a
simple airway maneuver, they are tagged Black (deceased/expectant).
