Exam Review
A nurse wants to have a better understanding of the physiological effects of selected chemicals.
Which of the following individuals would provide the most useful information to the nurse?
a. Chemist
b. Epidemiologist
c. Pharmacist
d. Toxicologist - correct answer ✔✔D
A nurse wants to find information about environmental threats that are present in the
community. Which of the following would be the best source of data for the nurse?
a. Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) database
b. National Library of Medicine
c. State health department
d. Closest local library - correct answer ✔✔B
A nurse is assessing potential environmental health risks in the community. Which of the
following would be the first step that the nurse should take?
a. Conduct health risk assessments of randomly selected individuals.
b. Perform a windshield survey.
c. Review facility permits and consumer confidence reports.
d. Survey community members. - correct answer ✔✔B
A community citizen reports to the public health nurse that the city water in one neighborhood
has had an unusual taste for the past few months. Which of the following actions should the
nurse take first?
,a. Check the most recent consumer confidence report.
b. Consult the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
c. Notify the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
d. Place a call to the poison control center - correct answer ✔✔A
A nurse who works at the local hospital asks a public health nurse what might be causing her
hands to become very sore and sensitive. Which of the following statements would be the most
appropriate response by the public health nurse?
a. "Ask the staff in employee health if there have been any other complaints."
b. "Call the local health department about any recent problems at the hospital."
c. "Check the material safety data sheet on any chemicals you have used recently."
d. "See the nurse's health care provider for a complete work-up." - correct answer ✔✔C
Which of the following statements about children and environmental hazards is correct?
a. The prevalence of autism is directly related to the increase in environmental toxins.
b. Children are more susceptible to environmental toxins because of their smaller size.
c. The incidence of asthma among children has been decreasing.
d. Children are more susceptible to cancer if they have a family history of the disease. - correct
answer ✔✔B
Which of the following actions represents the use of secondary prevention to reduce
environmental health risks?
a. Collecting blood specimens from preschool children to check for lead levels
b. Meeting with local government officials to request that the city clean up a hazardous vacant
lot
c. Referring a child with toxic lead levels to a neurologist
d. Teaching parents of a 2-year-old about the dangers of lead-based paint in older homes -
correct answer ✔✔A
,An occupational health nurse at a local factory is using primary prevention strategies to reduce
the environmental health risks among the employees. Which of the following activities would
the nurse most likely implement?
a. Checking radiation detectors to monitor for unsafe levels of radiation exposure
b. Irrigating the eyes of an employee who has had a chemical splash to the face
c. Teaching new employees who will work outdoors about the signs and symptoms of heat-
related illness
d. Using spirometry to rule out obstructive or restrictive lung disease for workers who will be
wearing mask respirators - correct answer ✔✔C
A nurse wants to help keep the community environment safe. Which of the following is the
most appropriate action for the nurse to take?
a. Conserve water by bathing less often.
b. Downsize to a smaller living space.
c. Reduce, reuse, and recycle.
d. Replace all his or her appliances with new energy-efficient ones. - correct answer ✔✔C
Which of the following best describes the purpose of local health departments making
unannounced inspections of local restaurants?
a. To enforce local laws and regulations
b. To ensure compliance
c. To provide oversight to potential exposure
d. To monitor employee safety - correct answer ✔✔B
A city has announced its plans to build a city dump near a community of poor and
predominantly African-American citizens. Which of the following principles would the nurse be
using when vocalizing opposition for this plan?
a. Environmental justice
, b. Environmental epidemiology
c. Tertiary prevention
d. Risk communication - correct answer ✔✔A
A nurse is completing a basic health assessment. Which of the following questions should be
asked by an environmentally aware nurse?
a. "Is anyone else in your family having these symptoms?"
b. "How many people live in your home?"
c. "What jobs have you held the longest?"
d. "Where did you live 10 years ago?" - correct answer ✔✔C
A high school student considering a job in the restaurant industry after graduation asks a nurse
about workplace safety issues. Which of the following acts would the nurse most likely discuss
with the student?
a. Chemical Safety Information, Site Security, and Fuels Regulatory Act
b. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
c. Food Quality Protection Act
d. Occupational Safety and Health Act - correct answer ✔✔D
The nurse is examining blood lead levels in school-age children 1 year after a community-wide
education intervention. Which of the following phases of the nursing process is being
implemented?
a. Assessment
b. Diagnosis
c. Intervention
d. Evaluation - correct answer ✔✔D