Module 6: Safety and Infection Control
1. Lesson 28 Providing a Secure and
Safe Environment
2. A hospital nurse transcribing a pri- Call the primary health care provider
mary health care provider's pre-
scriptions for a client is unable toRATIONALE:
read a prescribed dosage because It is the nurse's responsibility to follow the primary
the primary health care provider's health care provider's prescriptions unless the nurse
handwriting is unclear. Which ac- believes that a prescription is in error or would cause
tion should the nurse take? harm to the client. If the nurse implements a prescrip-
tion that is inaccurate and causes harm to the client, the
Call the primary health care nurse is responsible. If a primary health care provider's
provider prescription is illegible, it is the nurse's responsibility
Ask the client about the usual to clarify the prescription with the primary health care
dosage of the medication provider. The nurse would contact the nursing super-
Call the pharmacy to ask about visor if he or she were unable to make contact with
the usual dosage of the prescribed the primary health care provider for any reason, but,
medication because of the unclear handwriting, asking the nursing
Contact the nursing supervisor for supervisor for clarification of the primary health care
clarification of the primary health provider's prescription is not the best action; the prima-
care provider's prescriptions ry health care provider must make the prescription clear.
Calling the pharmacy to ask about the usual dosage
is incorrect, for the same reason; the primary health
care provider must make the prescription clear. Asking
the client about the usual dosage is incorrect, in part
because the primary health care provider may have
changed the dosage.
3. A client has a prescription for an The primary health care provider was contacted.
intravenous (IV) infusion of 1000 The serum potassium level at 10:30 a.m. was 3.5 mEq/L
mL of 0.9% normal saline solution (3.5 mmol/L).
with 10 mEq of potassium chloride
, Module 6: Safety and Infection Control
at a rate of 100 mL/hr. The nurse There was 500 mL of solution remaining in the IV bag
obtains an infusion control device at 10 a.m.
with which to administer the pre-
scription and hangs the IV solu- RATIONALE:
tion at 7 a.m. At 10 a.m. the nurse The incident report should contain the client's name,
notes that 500 mL of solution has age, and diagnosis. The report should also contain a
infused. The nurse assesses the factual description of the incident, any injuries sus-
client, checks the infusion rate, ob- tained by those involved, and the outcome of the situ-
tains a new infusion control device, ation. The nurse avoids the use of subjective data and
and contacts the primary health documents objective data. The nurse also avoids any
care provider. The primary health implication that an accident occurred or that an error
care provider prescribes a decrease was made. The statement that 200 mL of IV fluid was
in the rate of infusion to 50 mL/hr accidentally infused into the client implies that an ac-
and orders a serum potassium lev- cident resulted from an error. Likewise, the statement
el. The potassium level is 3.5 mEq/L that the infusion control device malfunctioned, causing
(3.5 mmol/L). Which information an excess amount of IV fluid to be infused into the
should be included on the incident client, poses an implication. The remaining statements
report in regard to this event? Se- identify factual and observable data free of unwanted
lect all that apply. implications.
The primary health care provider
was contacted.
The serum potassium level at 10:30
a.m. was 3.5 mEq/L (3.5 mmol/L).
A total of 200 mL of IV fluid was
accidentally infused into the client.
There was 500 mL of solution re-
maining in the IV bag at 10 a.m.
The infusion control device mal-
functioned causing an excess
amount of IV fluid to infuse into the
client.
, Module 6: Safety and Infection Control
4. A nurse is setting up an intra- Calling the hospital's electrical department for assis-
venous pump that will be used for tance
a client who will be receiving a
continuous intravenous infusion of
RATIONALE:
normal saline solution containing
The nurse would most appropriately contact the hospi-
heparin. As the nurse prepares to
tal's electrical department for assistance in safely setting
plug the pump's electrical cord into
up electrical equipment. Safety-type extension cords
the wall socket, she notes that no
are used only if necessary, and although this may be
socket is available because of oth-
an option, it is not the most appropriate one. Electrical
er medical equipment being used
outlets should not be overloaded, because this presents
in the room. Which action by the
an electrical hazard. The nurse would not allow the
nurse is most appropriate?
pump to run on its battery for an extended period. It is
Allowing the pump to run in battery inappropriate to place a client in a hallway. This would
mode constitute an invasion of the client's privacy.
Obtaining an extension cord from
the nurses' lounge
Moving the client into the hallway,
near a wall socket
Calling the hospital's electrical de-
partment for assistance
5. A nurse receives a telephone call Assessing the child for airway patency and removing any
from her next-door neighbor, who visible material from the child's mouth
is frantically seeking help because
her 3-year-old son has swallowed
RATIONALE:
pills from a bottle of ibuprofen. The
In the event of an accidental poisoning, the nurse would
neighbor tells the nurse that her
first assess airway patency, breathing, and circulation.
teenage daughter takes the pills for
The nurse would remove any visible material from the
menstrual cramps and apparently
child's mouth and then try to identify the type and
forgot to put the bottle away before
amount of substance ingested, because this may help
1. Lesson 28 Providing a Secure and
Safe Environment
2. A hospital nurse transcribing a pri- Call the primary health care provider
mary health care provider's pre-
scriptions for a client is unable toRATIONALE:
read a prescribed dosage because It is the nurse's responsibility to follow the primary
the primary health care provider's health care provider's prescriptions unless the nurse
handwriting is unclear. Which ac- believes that a prescription is in error or would cause
tion should the nurse take? harm to the client. If the nurse implements a prescrip-
tion that is inaccurate and causes harm to the client, the
Call the primary health care nurse is responsible. If a primary health care provider's
provider prescription is illegible, it is the nurse's responsibility
Ask the client about the usual to clarify the prescription with the primary health care
dosage of the medication provider. The nurse would contact the nursing super-
Call the pharmacy to ask about visor if he or she were unable to make contact with
the usual dosage of the prescribed the primary health care provider for any reason, but,
medication because of the unclear handwriting, asking the nursing
Contact the nursing supervisor for supervisor for clarification of the primary health care
clarification of the primary health provider's prescription is not the best action; the prima-
care provider's prescriptions ry health care provider must make the prescription clear.
Calling the pharmacy to ask about the usual dosage
is incorrect, for the same reason; the primary health
care provider must make the prescription clear. Asking
the client about the usual dosage is incorrect, in part
because the primary health care provider may have
changed the dosage.
3. A client has a prescription for an The primary health care provider was contacted.
intravenous (IV) infusion of 1000 The serum potassium level at 10:30 a.m. was 3.5 mEq/L
mL of 0.9% normal saline solution (3.5 mmol/L).
with 10 mEq of potassium chloride
, Module 6: Safety and Infection Control
at a rate of 100 mL/hr. The nurse There was 500 mL of solution remaining in the IV bag
obtains an infusion control device at 10 a.m.
with which to administer the pre-
scription and hangs the IV solu- RATIONALE:
tion at 7 a.m. At 10 a.m. the nurse The incident report should contain the client's name,
notes that 500 mL of solution has age, and diagnosis. The report should also contain a
infused. The nurse assesses the factual description of the incident, any injuries sus-
client, checks the infusion rate, ob- tained by those involved, and the outcome of the situ-
tains a new infusion control device, ation. The nurse avoids the use of subjective data and
and contacts the primary health documents objective data. The nurse also avoids any
care provider. The primary health implication that an accident occurred or that an error
care provider prescribes a decrease was made. The statement that 200 mL of IV fluid was
in the rate of infusion to 50 mL/hr accidentally infused into the client implies that an ac-
and orders a serum potassium lev- cident resulted from an error. Likewise, the statement
el. The potassium level is 3.5 mEq/L that the infusion control device malfunctioned, causing
(3.5 mmol/L). Which information an excess amount of IV fluid to be infused into the
should be included on the incident client, poses an implication. The remaining statements
report in regard to this event? Se- identify factual and observable data free of unwanted
lect all that apply. implications.
The primary health care provider
was contacted.
The serum potassium level at 10:30
a.m. was 3.5 mEq/L (3.5 mmol/L).
A total of 200 mL of IV fluid was
accidentally infused into the client.
There was 500 mL of solution re-
maining in the IV bag at 10 a.m.
The infusion control device mal-
functioned causing an excess
amount of IV fluid to infuse into the
client.
, Module 6: Safety and Infection Control
4. A nurse is setting up an intra- Calling the hospital's electrical department for assis-
venous pump that will be used for tance
a client who will be receiving a
continuous intravenous infusion of
RATIONALE:
normal saline solution containing
The nurse would most appropriately contact the hospi-
heparin. As the nurse prepares to
tal's electrical department for assistance in safely setting
plug the pump's electrical cord into
up electrical equipment. Safety-type extension cords
the wall socket, she notes that no
are used only if necessary, and although this may be
socket is available because of oth-
an option, it is not the most appropriate one. Electrical
er medical equipment being used
outlets should not be overloaded, because this presents
in the room. Which action by the
an electrical hazard. The nurse would not allow the
nurse is most appropriate?
pump to run on its battery for an extended period. It is
Allowing the pump to run in battery inappropriate to place a client in a hallway. This would
mode constitute an invasion of the client's privacy.
Obtaining an extension cord from
the nurses' lounge
Moving the client into the hallway,
near a wall socket
Calling the hospital's electrical de-
partment for assistance
5. A nurse receives a telephone call Assessing the child for airway patency and removing any
from her next-door neighbor, who visible material from the child's mouth
is frantically seeking help because
her 3-year-old son has swallowed
RATIONALE:
pills from a bottle of ibuprofen. The
In the event of an accidental poisoning, the nurse would
neighbor tells the nurse that her
first assess airway patency, breathing, and circulation.
teenage daughter takes the pills for
The nurse would remove any visible material from the
menstrual cramps and apparently
child's mouth and then try to identify the type and
forgot to put the bottle away before
amount of substance ingested, because this may help
