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WEST COAST UNIVERSITY NURS 431 – DISASTER
MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS AND RATIONALES |100% PASS
|GRADED A+ 2026/27
1. The nurse is preparing for a mass casualty incident (MCI). Which
triage system is most commonly used in the United States?
a) START triage
b) Glasgow Coma Scale
c) APACHE II
d) Braden Scale
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) is the most
commonly used triage system in MCIs in the United States. It
categorizes victims into four groups: Immediate (red), Delayed (yellow),
Minimal (green), and Deceased/Expectant (black). The Glasgow Coma
Scale assesses level of consciousness. APACHE II assesses severity of
illness in ICU. Braden Scale assesses pressure ulcer risk.
2. During a mass casualty incident, a client with a sucking chest wound
and respiratory distress is triaged as:
a) Green (minimal)
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b) Yellow (delayed)
c) Red (immediate)
d) Black (deceased/expectant)
Verified Answer: c
Rationale: A sucking chest wound with respiratory distress is a life-
threatening condition requiring immediate intervention (red tag). These
clients need immediate treatment to survive. Green tags are for minor
injuries, yellow for serious but stable, and black for deceased or
expectant (unlikely to survive with available resources).
3. The nurse is caring for a client exposed to a chemical agent that
causes miosis, rhinorrhea, and bronchospasm. Which agent is most
likely?
a) Nerve agent (sarin)
b) Vesicant (mustard gas)
c) Cyanide
d) Pulmonary agent (chlorine)
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Nerve agents (sarin, VX) cause cholinergic crisis: miosis
(pinpoint pupils), rhinorrhea, bronchospasm, salivation, diarrhea, and
muscle fasciculations. Vesicants cause blistering and skin burns.
Cyanide causes cellular hypoxia. Pulmonary agents cause respiratory
distress and pulmonary edema.
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4. The nurse is preparing to administer the antidote for a client exposed
to a nerve agent. Which medication should the nurse administer?
a) Atropine and pralidoxime (2-PAM)
b) Naloxone
c) Flumazenil
d) Deferoxamine
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Atropine (anticholinergic) and pralidoxime (2-PAM) are the
antidotes for nerve agent poisoning. Atropine blocks acetylcholine at
muscarinic receptors, and pralidoxime reactivates acetylcholinesterase.
Naloxone is for opioid overdose. Flumazenil is for benzodiazepines.
Deferoxamine is for iron toxicity.
5. The nurse is triaging clients after a disaster. Which client should be
tagged as "immediate" (red)?
a) A client with a minor laceration
b) A client with a fractured femur and stable vital signs
c) A client with respiratory distress and a sucking chest wound
d) A client with obvious signs of death
Verified Answer: c
Rationale: A client with respiratory distress and a sucking chest wound
requires immediate life-saving intervention (red tag). Minor lacerations
are green (minimal). A fractured femur with stable vital signs is yellow
(delayed). Obvious signs of death are black (deceased/expectant).
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6. The nurse is providing education about disaster preparedness to a
community group. Which phase of disaster management involves
reducing the risk of disasters?
a) Mitigation
b) Preparedness
c) Response
d) Recovery
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Mitigation involves activities to reduce or eliminate the risk
of disasters (e.g., building codes, flood barriers). Preparedness involves
planning and training. Response involves immediate actions during/after
a disaster. Recovery involves restoring the community after a disaster.
7. The nurse is caring for a client exposed to cyanide. Which finding is
expected?
a) Cherry-red skin and metabolic acidosis
b) Miosis and bronchospasm
c) Blistering and skin burns
d) Pulmonary edema
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Cyanide poisoning causes cellular hypoxia, leading to cherry-
red skin, metabolic acidosis, seizures, and coma. Nerve agents cause
WEST COAST UNIVERSITY NURS 431 – DISASTER
MANAGEMENT AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
COMPREHENSIVE PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH ANSWERS AND RATIONALES |100% PASS
|GRADED A+ 2026/27
1. The nurse is preparing for a mass casualty incident (MCI). Which
triage system is most commonly used in the United States?
a) START triage
b) Glasgow Coma Scale
c) APACHE II
d) Braden Scale
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) is the most
commonly used triage system in MCIs in the United States. It
categorizes victims into four groups: Immediate (red), Delayed (yellow),
Minimal (green), and Deceased/Expectant (black). The Glasgow Coma
Scale assesses level of consciousness. APACHE II assesses severity of
illness in ICU. Braden Scale assesses pressure ulcer risk.
2. During a mass casualty incident, a client with a sucking chest wound
and respiratory distress is triaged as:
a) Green (minimal)
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b) Yellow (delayed)
c) Red (immediate)
d) Black (deceased/expectant)
Verified Answer: c
Rationale: A sucking chest wound with respiratory distress is a life-
threatening condition requiring immediate intervention (red tag). These
clients need immediate treatment to survive. Green tags are for minor
injuries, yellow for serious but stable, and black for deceased or
expectant (unlikely to survive with available resources).
3. The nurse is caring for a client exposed to a chemical agent that
causes miosis, rhinorrhea, and bronchospasm. Which agent is most
likely?
a) Nerve agent (sarin)
b) Vesicant (mustard gas)
c) Cyanide
d) Pulmonary agent (chlorine)
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Nerve agents (sarin, VX) cause cholinergic crisis: miosis
(pinpoint pupils), rhinorrhea, bronchospasm, salivation, diarrhea, and
muscle fasciculations. Vesicants cause blistering and skin burns.
Cyanide causes cellular hypoxia. Pulmonary agents cause respiratory
distress and pulmonary edema.
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4. The nurse is preparing to administer the antidote for a client exposed
to a nerve agent. Which medication should the nurse administer?
a) Atropine and pralidoxime (2-PAM)
b) Naloxone
c) Flumazenil
d) Deferoxamine
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Atropine (anticholinergic) and pralidoxime (2-PAM) are the
antidotes for nerve agent poisoning. Atropine blocks acetylcholine at
muscarinic receptors, and pralidoxime reactivates acetylcholinesterase.
Naloxone is for opioid overdose. Flumazenil is for benzodiazepines.
Deferoxamine is for iron toxicity.
5. The nurse is triaging clients after a disaster. Which client should be
tagged as "immediate" (red)?
a) A client with a minor laceration
b) A client with a fractured femur and stable vital signs
c) A client with respiratory distress and a sucking chest wound
d) A client with obvious signs of death
Verified Answer: c
Rationale: A client with respiratory distress and a sucking chest wound
requires immediate life-saving intervention (red tag). Minor lacerations
are green (minimal). A fractured femur with stable vital signs is yellow
(delayed). Obvious signs of death are black (deceased/expectant).
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6. The nurse is providing education about disaster preparedness to a
community group. Which phase of disaster management involves
reducing the risk of disasters?
a) Mitigation
b) Preparedness
c) Response
d) Recovery
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Mitigation involves activities to reduce or eliminate the risk
of disasters (e.g., building codes, flood barriers). Preparedness involves
planning and training. Response involves immediate actions during/after
a disaster. Recovery involves restoring the community after a disaster.
7. The nurse is caring for a client exposed to cyanide. Which finding is
expected?
a) Cherry-red skin and metabolic acidosis
b) Miosis and bronchospasm
c) Blistering and skin burns
d) Pulmonary edema
Verified Answer: a
Rationale: Cyanide poisoning causes cellular hypoxia, leading to cherry-
red skin, metabolic acidosis, seizures, and coma. Nerve agents cause
