NUR 445 Exam 1 2026 ACTUAL EXAM
COMPLETE EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS (100%
CORRECT ANSWERS) /ALREADY GRADED
A+
What is the difference between a small hospital ICU and a large hospital ICU? - ANSWER The
size, resources available, specialized units, etc.
What must the nurse caring for the high acuity patient be able to do? - ANSWER Analyze
critical situations, make decisions based on their analysis, and rapidly intervene to ensure
optimal outcomes
Who is the only member of the healthcare team who is at the bedside and frequently
coordinates patient care? - ANSWER The nurse
Who detects early signs of an impending complication with the patient? - ANSWER The
nurse
What is one of the primary goals for the acute care nurse? - ANSWER the prevention of
complications
What changes led to decreased job satisfaction and nurses leaving practice in the high acuity
environment? - ANSWER Schedules, staffing, floating outside the specialty, hospital
restructuring, etc.
,What really should be considered when making decisions about nursing staffing patterns? -
ANSWER The needs of the patient and the skill mix of the nursing staff
What should the first principle of staffing be? - ANSWER provide safe and effective patient
care
What does the ANCC award hospitals magnet status for? - ANSWER If they are able to
create working environments that are successful in recruiting and retaining professional nurses
Which patients are often stereotyped as not being candidates for aggressive treatment? -
ANSWER Oncology patients
Who must "goals of care" be discussed with? - ANSWER With the patient and their family,
allowing ample time for meaningful discussion
What is a major advantage of having technology available in the high acuity environment? -
ANSWER The patient's status can be monitored continuously
What is a major criticism of nurses who work in high acuity environments? - ANSWER they
are too technologically oriented
What is alarm fatigue? - ANSWER When the number and frequency of alarms becomes
overwhelming, it can result in delayed alarm responses and deliberate alarm deactivations
What does working in a healthy environment increase? - ANSWER job satisfaction and
provides a buffer against stress and burnout
,Which professional organization made a commitment to promote healthy work environments
that support quality patient care and high levels of nurse satisfaction? - ANSWER American
Association of Critical Care Nurses
What are some standards of healthy work environments? - ANSWER Skilled communication,
true collaboration, efficient decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and
authentic leadership
Who are the gatekeepers of patient safety? - ANSWER high acuity nurses
What is burnout? - ANSWER Feelings of personal/professional frustration, job
dissatisfaction, job insecurity, emotion/physical exertion, emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishments, lack of control, overworked, insufficient
awards, conflicting values
What are some symptoms of burnout? - ANSWER Withdrawal, risk taking, ambivalence,
decreased productivity, contemplating career change, increased use of
caffeine/alcohol/nicotine, chronic fatigue, frequent minor ailments, sleep changes, appetite
change, sexual difficulty, attempts to blame others, stereotyping patients, nightmares,
depression, hostility, negativism, loss of tolerance, decreased ability to make decisions, poor
judgement, lack of initiative, forgetfulness
What can serve as a buffer against the negative effects of stress? - ANSWER a positive social
climate characterized by strong managerial support and cohesiveness among the staff
What are critical incident stress debriefings? - ANSWER structured group discussions
occurring within several days following a crisis, designed to address symptoms of stress, assess
the need for follow-up, and provide a sense of closure
What is TJC? - ANSWER The Joint Commission
, What is the TJCs mission? - ANSWER to continuously improve the safety and quality of care
provided to the public through the provision of healthcare accreditation that supports process
improvement in healthcare organizations
What are the national patient safety goals? - ANSWER patient identifiers, staff
communication, medication safety, alarm safety, infection prevention, risk identification, and
timeout
What are some factors that inhibit learning and barriers to communication for the high acuity
patient? - ANSWER Fatigue, barriers to communication, pain, drugs
What takes precedence over the need to know and understand? - ANSWER physiologic
needs
What are some of the educational needs of ICU patients and families? - ANSWER current
info about patient progress, informed decision making, acknowledgement of past, optimal
learning environment, orientation to routines and care, motivation
What is transfer anxiety? - ANSWER transferring to a less acute unit creates anxiety as they
move to an unfamiliar environment
What are some components of ICU patient and family centered care? - ANSWER Open
visitation, inclusion in decision making, education about healthcare, and inclusion of families in
designing comfortable spaces
What is reduced for the ICU patient when the family is at the bedside? - ANSWER anxiety
and hallucinations
COMPLETE EXAM QUESTIONS WITH
DETAILED VERIFIED ANSWERS (100%
CORRECT ANSWERS) /ALREADY GRADED
A+
What is the difference between a small hospital ICU and a large hospital ICU? - ANSWER The
size, resources available, specialized units, etc.
What must the nurse caring for the high acuity patient be able to do? - ANSWER Analyze
critical situations, make decisions based on their analysis, and rapidly intervene to ensure
optimal outcomes
Who is the only member of the healthcare team who is at the bedside and frequently
coordinates patient care? - ANSWER The nurse
Who detects early signs of an impending complication with the patient? - ANSWER The
nurse
What is one of the primary goals for the acute care nurse? - ANSWER the prevention of
complications
What changes led to decreased job satisfaction and nurses leaving practice in the high acuity
environment? - ANSWER Schedules, staffing, floating outside the specialty, hospital
restructuring, etc.
,What really should be considered when making decisions about nursing staffing patterns? -
ANSWER The needs of the patient and the skill mix of the nursing staff
What should the first principle of staffing be? - ANSWER provide safe and effective patient
care
What does the ANCC award hospitals magnet status for? - ANSWER If they are able to
create working environments that are successful in recruiting and retaining professional nurses
Which patients are often stereotyped as not being candidates for aggressive treatment? -
ANSWER Oncology patients
Who must "goals of care" be discussed with? - ANSWER With the patient and their family,
allowing ample time for meaningful discussion
What is a major advantage of having technology available in the high acuity environment? -
ANSWER The patient's status can be monitored continuously
What is a major criticism of nurses who work in high acuity environments? - ANSWER they
are too technologically oriented
What is alarm fatigue? - ANSWER When the number and frequency of alarms becomes
overwhelming, it can result in delayed alarm responses and deliberate alarm deactivations
What does working in a healthy environment increase? - ANSWER job satisfaction and
provides a buffer against stress and burnout
,Which professional organization made a commitment to promote healthy work environments
that support quality patient care and high levels of nurse satisfaction? - ANSWER American
Association of Critical Care Nurses
What are some standards of healthy work environments? - ANSWER Skilled communication,
true collaboration, efficient decision making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and
authentic leadership
Who are the gatekeepers of patient safety? - ANSWER high acuity nurses
What is burnout? - ANSWER Feelings of personal/professional frustration, job
dissatisfaction, job insecurity, emotion/physical exertion, emotional exhaustion,
depersonalization, reduced personal accomplishments, lack of control, overworked, insufficient
awards, conflicting values
What are some symptoms of burnout? - ANSWER Withdrawal, risk taking, ambivalence,
decreased productivity, contemplating career change, increased use of
caffeine/alcohol/nicotine, chronic fatigue, frequent minor ailments, sleep changes, appetite
change, sexual difficulty, attempts to blame others, stereotyping patients, nightmares,
depression, hostility, negativism, loss of tolerance, decreased ability to make decisions, poor
judgement, lack of initiative, forgetfulness
What can serve as a buffer against the negative effects of stress? - ANSWER a positive social
climate characterized by strong managerial support and cohesiveness among the staff
What are critical incident stress debriefings? - ANSWER structured group discussions
occurring within several days following a crisis, designed to address symptoms of stress, assess
the need for follow-up, and provide a sense of closure
What is TJC? - ANSWER The Joint Commission
, What is the TJCs mission? - ANSWER to continuously improve the safety and quality of care
provided to the public through the provision of healthcare accreditation that supports process
improvement in healthcare organizations
What are the national patient safety goals? - ANSWER patient identifiers, staff
communication, medication safety, alarm safety, infection prevention, risk identification, and
timeout
What are some factors that inhibit learning and barriers to communication for the high acuity
patient? - ANSWER Fatigue, barriers to communication, pain, drugs
What takes precedence over the need to know and understand? - ANSWER physiologic
needs
What are some of the educational needs of ICU patients and families? - ANSWER current
info about patient progress, informed decision making, acknowledgement of past, optimal
learning environment, orientation to routines and care, motivation
What is transfer anxiety? - ANSWER transferring to a less acute unit creates anxiety as they
move to an unfamiliar environment
What are some components of ICU patient and family centered care? - ANSWER Open
visitation, inclusion in decision making, education about healthcare, and inclusion of families in
designing comfortable spaces
What is reduced for the ICU patient when the family is at the bedside? - ANSWER anxiety
and hallucinations
