Community health exam 1 test bank
questions with correct answers
Which public health nurse most clearly fulfills the responsibilities of this role?
a. The nurse who met with several groups to discuss community recreation issues
b. The nurse who spent the day attending meetings of various health agencies
c. The nurse who talked to several people about their particular health concerns
d. The nurse who watched the city council meeting on local cable television -
Answer-ANS: B
Any of these descriptions might represent a nurse communicating, cooperating, or
collaborating with community residents or
groups about health concerns. A major challenge for the future is the need for public
health nursing specialists to be more
aggressive in working collaboratively with various groups in the community as well
as professional colleagues in institutional
settings to deal with barriers to health. However, the nurse who spent the day
attending meetings of various health agencies is the
most representative, because in public health, concerns are addressed from a
broader perspective. In public health, broad concerns
of the community should be addressed. Concerns are broader than recreation,
individual concerns are not as important as aggregate
priorities, and watching television (a one-way form of communication) is less
effective than interacting with others.
Which of the following best defines aggregate?
a. A large group of persons
b. A collection of individuals and families
c. A collection of people who share one or more characteristics
d. Another name for demographic group - Answer-ANS: C
An aggregate is defined a collection of people who share one or more personal or
environmental characteristics. Members of a
community can be defined in terms of either geography (e.g., a county, a group of
counties, or a state) or a special interest (e.g.,
children attending a particular school). These members make up a population. The
term population may be used interchangeably
with the term aggregate. A large group of persons, a collection of individuals and
families, and another name for demographic
group are not accurate definitions of the term aggregate.
Which question asked by a novice nurse would be the most reflective of an
understanding of the role of a public health nurse?
a. "Which groups are at the greatest risk for problems?"
b. "Which patients should I see first as I begin my day?"
c. "With which physicians will I be most closely collaborating?"
d. "With which nursing assistants will I partner the most?" - Answer-ANS: A
Asking which groups are at greatest risk reflects a community-oriented perspective.
The incorrect responses reflect a focus on
individuals rather than a community-oriented perspecti
,Making sure that essential community-oriented health services are available defines
which of the core public health functions?
a. Policy development
b. Assessment
c. Assurance
d. Scientific knowledge-based care - Answer-ANS: C
Assurance includes making sure that essential community-oriented health services
are available in the community. The definition
does not fit the terms assessment, policy development. Scientific knowledge-based
care is not a core function of public health.
Assessment is systematic data collection on the population, monitoring the
population's health status, and making information
available about the health of the community. Policy development refers to efforts to
develop policies that support the health of the
population, including using a scientific knowledge base to make policy decisions
When talking to a women's group at the senior citizens' center, the nurse reminded
them that the only way the center would be able
to afford to provide transportation services for them would be for them to continue to
write letters to their local city council
representatives requesting funding for such a service. What was the nurse trying to
accomplish through this action?
a. Ensure that the women did not expect the nurse to solve their problem.
b. Demonstrate that the nurse understood the women's concerns and needs.
c. Express empathy, support, and concern.
d. Help the women engage in political action. - Answer-ANS: D
Public health nurses engage themselves and others in policy development and
encourage and assist persons to communicate their
needs to those with the power to take action. The nurse is demonstrating the role of
advocate through this action, it goes beyond
merely understanding the women's concern, and instead mobilizes them to take
action. This action does not demonstrate the nurse
showing empathy rather the nurse is empowering these women
The public health nurse has a clear vision of what needs to be done and where to
begin to improve the health of the community.
Why would the nurse spend time meeting with community groups to discuss the
most important task to be addressed first?
a. To increase the group's self-esteem
b. To maintain communication links with the groups
c. To make the groups feel good about their contribution
d. To work with the groups, not for the groups - Answer-ANS: D
Historically, health care providers have been accused of providing care for or to
people without actually involving the recipients in
the decisions. Public health nursing is a "with the people"—not a "to the people" or
"for the people"—approach to planning. There
is an imperative to work with members of the community to carry out core public
health functions. The purpose of meeting with
,community groups is not to increase their self-esteem or make them feel good about
their contribution, rather it is to allow them to
act for themselves to solve the problems they are facing. The first task of working
with the group should occur before addressing
maintaining communication links
The nurse often has to make resource allocation decisions. Which of the following
best describes the criterion the nurse should use
in such cases?
a. The specific moral or ethical principle related to the situation
b. The cheapest, most economical approach
c. The most rational probable outcome
d. The needs of the aggregate rather than a few individuals - Answer-ANS: D
The dominant needs of the population outweigh the expressed needs of one or a few
people. All of the choices represent
components of a decision that the nurse might consider in determining the needs of
the aggregate
Which of the following actions best represents public health nursing?
a. Assessing the effectiveness of the high school health clinic
b. Caring for clients in their home following their outpatient surgeries
c. Providing care to children and their families at the school clinic
d. Administering follow-up care for pediatric clients at an outpatient clinic - Answer-
ANS: A
A public health or population-focused approach would look at the entire group of
children being served to determine whether
available services are effective in achieving the goal of improving the health of the
school population. Caring for clients and their
families focuses on individuals and families and not on the entire population. Public
health focuses on care of populations
Two nurses plan to walk under a huge downtown bridge where various homeless
persons live. Why would the nurses go to such an
unsafe area?
a. To assess the needs of the homeless who live there
b. To demonstrate their courage and commitment
c. To distribute some of their own surplus clothes to those who can use them
d. To share with various churches and other charities what is needed - Answer-ANS:
A
In most nursing practices, the client seeks out and requests assistance. In public
health nursing, the nurse often reaches out to those
who might benefit from a service or intervention, beginning with assessment of
needs. The other answers reflect responses where
the nurse is trying to give assistance to this population that may or may not be
helpful or welcomed
A public health agency is planning to implement the electronic health record. (Which
is a benefit of this choice?
a. Facilitation of interprofessional care
b. Improved client compliance with medical regimens
, c. Cost savings to the agency
d. Compliance with JCAHO standard - Answer-ANS: A
The electronic medical record facilitates interprofessional care in chronic disease
management and coordination of referrals;
24-hour availability of records with downloaded laboratory results and up-to-date
assessments; incorporation of protocol reminders
for prevention, screening, and management of chronic disease; improvement of
quality measurement and monitoring; increased
client safety; and decline in medication errors. There is no evidence that an
electronic health record improves client compliance
with medical regimens. Electronic health records can increase costs to an agency.
JCAHO does not accredit public health agencies
Which statement best describes the cost of health care in the United States?
a. Health care costs are kept low, and the indicators of health are among the best
worldwide.
b. Health care costs are low which has resulted in poor health outcomes.
c. Health care costs are the highest in the world, but the indicators of health are not
the best worldwide.
d. Health care costs and indicators of health are the highest in the world. - Answer-
ANS: C
Health care costs in the United States are the highest in the world and comprise the
greatest percentage of the gross domestic
product, the indicators of what constitutes good health do not document that
Americans are really getting their money's worth.
Health care costs are not low in comparison to the rest of the world. The health
outcomes in the United States are poor in
comparison to other countries who spend less money on health care
A nurse is explaining the health care system in the United States to a group of health
care providers visiting from South America.
How would the nurse best describe the current health care system?
a. "It is a logical, rational approach to meeting expressed needs while still trying to
control costs."
b. "It is a centralized system that provides care in hospitals."
c. "It is divided primarily into two components: private health care and public health
care."
d. "It is the best in the world with outstanding research and high-technology care
available to all." - Answer-ANS: C
Health care in the United States consists of a private or personal care system and a
public health system, with overlap between the
two. The United States health care system is one of the most expensive systems in
the world that does not do a good job at
controlling costs. Care is provided through an enormous range of facilities and
providers, including hospitals, physicians' and
dentists' offices, nursing homes, mental health facilities, ambulatory care centers,
and freestanding clinics. Although there is great
research and high-technology care in the United States, the health care outcomes of
the country do not reflect this. Health care
disparities exist among multiple populations making this system not available to all
questions with correct answers
Which public health nurse most clearly fulfills the responsibilities of this role?
a. The nurse who met with several groups to discuss community recreation issues
b. The nurse who spent the day attending meetings of various health agencies
c. The nurse who talked to several people about their particular health concerns
d. The nurse who watched the city council meeting on local cable television -
Answer-ANS: B
Any of these descriptions might represent a nurse communicating, cooperating, or
collaborating with community residents or
groups about health concerns. A major challenge for the future is the need for public
health nursing specialists to be more
aggressive in working collaboratively with various groups in the community as well
as professional colleagues in institutional
settings to deal with barriers to health. However, the nurse who spent the day
attending meetings of various health agencies is the
most representative, because in public health, concerns are addressed from a
broader perspective. In public health, broad concerns
of the community should be addressed. Concerns are broader than recreation,
individual concerns are not as important as aggregate
priorities, and watching television (a one-way form of communication) is less
effective than interacting with others.
Which of the following best defines aggregate?
a. A large group of persons
b. A collection of individuals and families
c. A collection of people who share one or more characteristics
d. Another name for demographic group - Answer-ANS: C
An aggregate is defined a collection of people who share one or more personal or
environmental characteristics. Members of a
community can be defined in terms of either geography (e.g., a county, a group of
counties, or a state) or a special interest (e.g.,
children attending a particular school). These members make up a population. The
term population may be used interchangeably
with the term aggregate. A large group of persons, a collection of individuals and
families, and another name for demographic
group are not accurate definitions of the term aggregate.
Which question asked by a novice nurse would be the most reflective of an
understanding of the role of a public health nurse?
a. "Which groups are at the greatest risk for problems?"
b. "Which patients should I see first as I begin my day?"
c. "With which physicians will I be most closely collaborating?"
d. "With which nursing assistants will I partner the most?" - Answer-ANS: A
Asking which groups are at greatest risk reflects a community-oriented perspective.
The incorrect responses reflect a focus on
individuals rather than a community-oriented perspecti
,Making sure that essential community-oriented health services are available defines
which of the core public health functions?
a. Policy development
b. Assessment
c. Assurance
d. Scientific knowledge-based care - Answer-ANS: C
Assurance includes making sure that essential community-oriented health services
are available in the community. The definition
does not fit the terms assessment, policy development. Scientific knowledge-based
care is not a core function of public health.
Assessment is systematic data collection on the population, monitoring the
population's health status, and making information
available about the health of the community. Policy development refers to efforts to
develop policies that support the health of the
population, including using a scientific knowledge base to make policy decisions
When talking to a women's group at the senior citizens' center, the nurse reminded
them that the only way the center would be able
to afford to provide transportation services for them would be for them to continue to
write letters to their local city council
representatives requesting funding for such a service. What was the nurse trying to
accomplish through this action?
a. Ensure that the women did not expect the nurse to solve their problem.
b. Demonstrate that the nurse understood the women's concerns and needs.
c. Express empathy, support, and concern.
d. Help the women engage in political action. - Answer-ANS: D
Public health nurses engage themselves and others in policy development and
encourage and assist persons to communicate their
needs to those with the power to take action. The nurse is demonstrating the role of
advocate through this action, it goes beyond
merely understanding the women's concern, and instead mobilizes them to take
action. This action does not demonstrate the nurse
showing empathy rather the nurse is empowering these women
The public health nurse has a clear vision of what needs to be done and where to
begin to improve the health of the community.
Why would the nurse spend time meeting with community groups to discuss the
most important task to be addressed first?
a. To increase the group's self-esteem
b. To maintain communication links with the groups
c. To make the groups feel good about their contribution
d. To work with the groups, not for the groups - Answer-ANS: D
Historically, health care providers have been accused of providing care for or to
people without actually involving the recipients in
the decisions. Public health nursing is a "with the people"—not a "to the people" or
"for the people"—approach to planning. There
is an imperative to work with members of the community to carry out core public
health functions. The purpose of meeting with
,community groups is not to increase their self-esteem or make them feel good about
their contribution, rather it is to allow them to
act for themselves to solve the problems they are facing. The first task of working
with the group should occur before addressing
maintaining communication links
The nurse often has to make resource allocation decisions. Which of the following
best describes the criterion the nurse should use
in such cases?
a. The specific moral or ethical principle related to the situation
b. The cheapest, most economical approach
c. The most rational probable outcome
d. The needs of the aggregate rather than a few individuals - Answer-ANS: D
The dominant needs of the population outweigh the expressed needs of one or a few
people. All of the choices represent
components of a decision that the nurse might consider in determining the needs of
the aggregate
Which of the following actions best represents public health nursing?
a. Assessing the effectiveness of the high school health clinic
b. Caring for clients in their home following their outpatient surgeries
c. Providing care to children and their families at the school clinic
d. Administering follow-up care for pediatric clients at an outpatient clinic - Answer-
ANS: A
A public health or population-focused approach would look at the entire group of
children being served to determine whether
available services are effective in achieving the goal of improving the health of the
school population. Caring for clients and their
families focuses on individuals and families and not on the entire population. Public
health focuses on care of populations
Two nurses plan to walk under a huge downtown bridge where various homeless
persons live. Why would the nurses go to such an
unsafe area?
a. To assess the needs of the homeless who live there
b. To demonstrate their courage and commitment
c. To distribute some of their own surplus clothes to those who can use them
d. To share with various churches and other charities what is needed - Answer-ANS:
A
In most nursing practices, the client seeks out and requests assistance. In public
health nursing, the nurse often reaches out to those
who might benefit from a service or intervention, beginning with assessment of
needs. The other answers reflect responses where
the nurse is trying to give assistance to this population that may or may not be
helpful or welcomed
A public health agency is planning to implement the electronic health record. (Which
is a benefit of this choice?
a. Facilitation of interprofessional care
b. Improved client compliance with medical regimens
, c. Cost savings to the agency
d. Compliance with JCAHO standard - Answer-ANS: A
The electronic medical record facilitates interprofessional care in chronic disease
management and coordination of referrals;
24-hour availability of records with downloaded laboratory results and up-to-date
assessments; incorporation of protocol reminders
for prevention, screening, and management of chronic disease; improvement of
quality measurement and monitoring; increased
client safety; and decline in medication errors. There is no evidence that an
electronic health record improves client compliance
with medical regimens. Electronic health records can increase costs to an agency.
JCAHO does not accredit public health agencies
Which statement best describes the cost of health care in the United States?
a. Health care costs are kept low, and the indicators of health are among the best
worldwide.
b. Health care costs are low which has resulted in poor health outcomes.
c. Health care costs are the highest in the world, but the indicators of health are not
the best worldwide.
d. Health care costs and indicators of health are the highest in the world. - Answer-
ANS: C
Health care costs in the United States are the highest in the world and comprise the
greatest percentage of the gross domestic
product, the indicators of what constitutes good health do not document that
Americans are really getting their money's worth.
Health care costs are not low in comparison to the rest of the world. The health
outcomes in the United States are poor in
comparison to other countries who spend less money on health care
A nurse is explaining the health care system in the United States to a group of health
care providers visiting from South America.
How would the nurse best describe the current health care system?
a. "It is a logical, rational approach to meeting expressed needs while still trying to
control costs."
b. "It is a centralized system that provides care in hospitals."
c. "It is divided primarily into two components: private health care and public health
care."
d. "It is the best in the world with outstanding research and high-technology care
available to all." - Answer-ANS: C
Health care in the United States consists of a private or personal care system and a
public health system, with overlap between the
two. The United States health care system is one of the most expensive systems in
the world that does not do a good job at
controlling costs. Care is provided through an enormous range of facilities and
providers, including hospitals, physicians' and
dentists' offices, nursing homes, mental health facilities, ambulatory care centers,
and freestanding clinics. Although there is great
research and high-technology care in the United States, the health care outcomes of
the country do not reflect this. Health care
disparities exist among multiple populations making this system not available to all
