Disaster Nursing Preparedness Examination
DEFINED ANSWERS LATEST ALREADY GRADED
A+ (2025/2026
1. A key defining characteristic that differentiates a disaster from an everyday
emergency is that a disaster:
A) Involves more than 10 casualties
B) Overwhelms the local capacity to respond and requires outside assistance
C) Always results in significant infrastructure damage
D) Is always a natural event
Answer: B
Rationale: A disaster is defined by the imbalance between needs and resources.
When the local healthcare system’s ability to manage the incident is exceeded,
requiring external assistance, it is classified as a disaster.
---
2. The START triage system uses which primary assessment parameters in adults?
A) Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate
B) Respiratory rate, perfusion (capillary refill), and mental status (ability to follow
commands)
C) Pupil size, skin color, and temperature
D) Level of consciousness and blood glucose
Answer: B
,Rationale: START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) assesses respiration,
perfusion (capillary refill or radial pulse), and mental status (ability to follow
simple commands) to categorize patients in a mass casualty incident.
---
3. In the START triage system, a patient who is breathing at a rate of 10 breaths
per minute, has a capillary refill of 4 seconds, and is unconscious would be
tagged:
A) Red (Immediate)
B) Yellow (Delayed)
C) Green (Minor)
D) Black (Deceased/Expectant)
Answer: A
Rationale: Altered mental status (unconscious) alone makes the patient
“Immediate” (Red) after correcting respiratory rate? Wait, START algorithm: if
respiratory rate <30, then check perfusion; if capillary refill >2 seconds or absent
radial pulse, tag Red (Immediate) and control bleeding. Unconscious would be
discovered after perfusion check? Actually, START: 1. Respiration: if <30 but >0,
move to perfusion. Cap refill >2 sec = Red. If cap refill ≤2 sec, then check mental
status. If cannot follow simple commands, tag Red. So if patient has cap refill 4 sec
(abnormal) they would be Red regardless of mental status. So answer A correct.
---
4. The JumpSTART triage tool modifies the adult START system for pediatric
patients primarily by:
A) Using different color tags
,B) Including a brief ventilatory trial with 5 rescue breaths for apneic children with
a pulse
C) Measuring blood pressure instead of capillary refill
D) Eliminating the mental status check
Answer: B
Rationale: In JumpSTART, an apneic child with a palpable pulse is given 5 rescue
breaths. If spontaneous breathing returns, they are tagged Red (Immediate); if
not, they are tagged Black. This accounts for respiratory arrest secondary to
hypoxia rather than injury.
---
5. In the SALT mass casualty triage system, which step comes first?
A) Individual assessment of all patients
B) Global sorting by voice command (ambulatory vs. non-ambulatory)
C) Assigning color categories
D) Lifesaving interventions and triage category assignment
Answer: B
Rationale: SALT (Sort, Assess, Lifesaving Interventions, Treatment/Transport)
begins with global sorting: asking those who can walk to move to a designated
area (Green/Minimal if not critically injured). Then assessment and lifesaving
interventions follow.
---
, 6. During a disaster, a nurse is assigned to triage and tags a patient with a sucking
chest wound, respiratory rate 36/min, and who is able to follow commands. The
correct tag color is:
A) Red (Immediate)
B) Yellow (Delayed)
C) Green (Minor)
D) Black (Expectant)
Answer: A
Rationale: START criteria: respiratory rate >30/min automatically tags the patient
as Red (Immediate). The sucking chest wound also requires urgent intervention
and can deteriorate rapidly.
---
7. According to the disaster management cycle, activities such as hazard
vulnerability analysis, staff training, and stockpiling supplies occur during which
phase?
A) Response
B) Recovery
C) Mitigation and Preparedness
D) Reconstitution
Answer: C
Rationale: Mitigation involves reducing the impact of disasters (e.g., building
codes, hazard assessments), while preparedness includes planning, training,
exercises, and resource stockpiling to ensure effective response.
---
DEFINED ANSWERS LATEST ALREADY GRADED
A+ (2025/2026
1. A key defining characteristic that differentiates a disaster from an everyday
emergency is that a disaster:
A) Involves more than 10 casualties
B) Overwhelms the local capacity to respond and requires outside assistance
C) Always results in significant infrastructure damage
D) Is always a natural event
Answer: B
Rationale: A disaster is defined by the imbalance between needs and resources.
When the local healthcare system’s ability to manage the incident is exceeded,
requiring external assistance, it is classified as a disaster.
---
2. The START triage system uses which primary assessment parameters in adults?
A) Blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate
B) Respiratory rate, perfusion (capillary refill), and mental status (ability to follow
commands)
C) Pupil size, skin color, and temperature
D) Level of consciousness and blood glucose
Answer: B
,Rationale: START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) assesses respiration,
perfusion (capillary refill or radial pulse), and mental status (ability to follow
simple commands) to categorize patients in a mass casualty incident.
---
3. In the START triage system, a patient who is breathing at a rate of 10 breaths
per minute, has a capillary refill of 4 seconds, and is unconscious would be
tagged:
A) Red (Immediate)
B) Yellow (Delayed)
C) Green (Minor)
D) Black (Deceased/Expectant)
Answer: A
Rationale: Altered mental status (unconscious) alone makes the patient
“Immediate” (Red) after correcting respiratory rate? Wait, START algorithm: if
respiratory rate <30, then check perfusion; if capillary refill >2 seconds or absent
radial pulse, tag Red (Immediate) and control bleeding. Unconscious would be
discovered after perfusion check? Actually, START: 1. Respiration: if <30 but >0,
move to perfusion. Cap refill >2 sec = Red. If cap refill ≤2 sec, then check mental
status. If cannot follow simple commands, tag Red. So if patient has cap refill 4 sec
(abnormal) they would be Red regardless of mental status. So answer A correct.
---
4. The JumpSTART triage tool modifies the adult START system for pediatric
patients primarily by:
A) Using different color tags
,B) Including a brief ventilatory trial with 5 rescue breaths for apneic children with
a pulse
C) Measuring blood pressure instead of capillary refill
D) Eliminating the mental status check
Answer: B
Rationale: In JumpSTART, an apneic child with a palpable pulse is given 5 rescue
breaths. If spontaneous breathing returns, they are tagged Red (Immediate); if
not, they are tagged Black. This accounts for respiratory arrest secondary to
hypoxia rather than injury.
---
5. In the SALT mass casualty triage system, which step comes first?
A) Individual assessment of all patients
B) Global sorting by voice command (ambulatory vs. non-ambulatory)
C) Assigning color categories
D) Lifesaving interventions and triage category assignment
Answer: B
Rationale: SALT (Sort, Assess, Lifesaving Interventions, Treatment/Transport)
begins with global sorting: asking those who can walk to move to a designated
area (Green/Minimal if not critically injured). Then assessment and lifesaving
interventions follow.
---
, 6. During a disaster, a nurse is assigned to triage and tags a patient with a sucking
chest wound, respiratory rate 36/min, and who is able to follow commands. The
correct tag color is:
A) Red (Immediate)
B) Yellow (Delayed)
C) Green (Minor)
D) Black (Expectant)
Answer: A
Rationale: START criteria: respiratory rate >30/min automatically tags the patient
as Red (Immediate). The sucking chest wound also requires urgent intervention
and can deteriorate rapidly.
---
7. According to the disaster management cycle, activities such as hazard
vulnerability analysis, staff training, and stockpiling supplies occur during which
phase?
A) Response
B) Recovery
C) Mitigation and Preparedness
D) Reconstitution
Answer: C
Rationale: Mitigation involves reducing the impact of disasters (e.g., building
codes, hazard assessments), while preparedness includes planning, training,
exercises, and resource stockpiling to ensure effective response.
---
