Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing prac-
tice?
a. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
b. American Heart Association
c. American Nurses Association
d. Society of Critical Care Medicine - ANSWER a. American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses
A nurse has been working as a staff nurse in the surgical intensive care unit for 2 years and is
interested in certification. Which credential would be most applicable for her to seek?
a. ACNPC
b. CCNS
c. CCRN
d. PCCN - ANSWER c.
CCRN
The main purpose of certification is to:
a.assure the consumer that you will not make a mistake.
b.prepare for graduate school.
c.promote magnet status for your facility.
d.validate knowledge of critical care nursing. - ANSWER d.validate knowledge of critical
care nursing.
1
,The synergy model of practice focuses on:
a. allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day.
b. holistic and alternative therapies.
c. needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency.
d. patients needs for energy and support. - ANSWER c. needs of patients and their fami-
lies, which drives nursing competency.
The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician
in over 24 hours and they have some questions that they want clarified. During morning
rounds, you convey this concern to the attending intensivist and arrange for her to meet
with the family at 4:00 PM in the conference room. Which competency of critical care nurs-
ing does this represent?
a. Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
b. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
c. Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
d. Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members - ANSWER c. Collabo-
ration with patients, families, and team members
The AACN Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice use what framework to
guide critical care nursing practice?
a. Evidence-based practice
b. Healthy work environment
c. National Patient Safety Goals
d. Nursing process - ANSWER d. Nursing process
2
,The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit.
She assigns the experienced, certified nurse to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who
also requires continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. She assigns
the nurse with less than 1 year of experience to two patients who are more stable. This as-
signment reflects implementation of the:
a. crew resource management model
b. National Patient Safety Goals
c. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model
d. synergy model of practice - ANSWER d. synergy model of practice
The vision of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is a healthcare system driven
by:
a. a healthy work environment.
b. care from a multiprofessional team under the direction of a critical care physician.
c. the needs of critically ill patients and families.
d. respectful, healing, and humane environments. - ANSWER c. the needs of critically ill
patients and families.
The most important outcome of effective communication is to:
a. demonstrate caring practices to family members.
b. ensure that patient teaching is done.
c. meet the diversity needs of patients.
d. reduce patient errors. - ANSWER d. reduce patient errors.
You are caring for a critically ill patient whose urine output has been low for 2 consecutive
hours. After a thorough patient assessment, you call the intensivist with the following re-
port. Dr. Smith, Im calling about Mrs. P., your 65-year-old patient in CCU 10. Her urine output
3
, for the past 2 hours totaled only 40 mL. She arrived from surgery to repair an aortic aneu-
rysm 4 hours ago and remains on mechanical ventilation. In the past 2 hours, her heart rate
has increased from 80 to 100 beats per minute and her blood pressure has decreased from
128/82 to 100/70 mm Hg. She is being given an infusion of normal saline at 100 mL per hour.
Her right atrial pressure through the subclavian central line is low at 3 mm Hg. Her urine is
concentrated. Her BUN and creatinine levels have been stable and in normal range. Her ab-
dominal dressing is dry with no indication of bleeding. My assessment suggests that Mrs. P.
is hypovolemic - ANSWER b. Background
The family members of a critically ill, 90-year-old patient bring in a copy of the patients living
will to the hospital, which identifies the patients wishes regarding health care. You discuss
contents of the living will with the patients physician. This is an example of implementation
of which of the AACN Standards of Professional Performance?
a. Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
b. Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
c. Considers factors related to safe patient care
d. Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice - ANSWER b. Acts ethi-
cally on the behalf of the patient and family
Which of the following assists the critical care nurse in ensuring that care is appropriate and
based on research?
a. Clinical practice guidelines
b. Computerized physician order entry
c. Consulting with advanced practice nurses
d. Implementing Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals - ANSWER a. Clinical
practice guidelines
Comparing the patients current (home) medications with those ordered during hospitaliza-
tion and communicating a complete list of medications to the next provider when the pa-
tient is transferred within an organization or to another setting are strategies to:
4
tice?
a. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
b. American Heart Association
c. American Nurses Association
d. Society of Critical Care Medicine - ANSWER a. American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses
A nurse has been working as a staff nurse in the surgical intensive care unit for 2 years and is
interested in certification. Which credential would be most applicable for her to seek?
a. ACNPC
b. CCNS
c. CCRN
d. PCCN - ANSWER c.
CCRN
The main purpose of certification is to:
a.assure the consumer that you will not make a mistake.
b.prepare for graduate school.
c.promote magnet status for your facility.
d.validate knowledge of critical care nursing. - ANSWER d.validate knowledge of critical
care nursing.
1
,The synergy model of practice focuses on:
a. allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day.
b. holistic and alternative therapies.
c. needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency.
d. patients needs for energy and support. - ANSWER c. needs of patients and their fami-
lies, which drives nursing competency.
The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician
in over 24 hours and they have some questions that they want clarified. During morning
rounds, you convey this concern to the attending intensivist and arrange for her to meet
with the family at 4:00 PM in the conference room. Which competency of critical care nurs-
ing does this represent?
a. Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
b. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
c. Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
d. Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members - ANSWER c. Collabo-
ration with patients, families, and team members
The AACN Standards for Acute and Critical Care Nursing Practice use what framework to
guide critical care nursing practice?
a. Evidence-based practice
b. Healthy work environment
c. National Patient Safety Goals
d. Nursing process - ANSWER d. Nursing process
2
,The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit.
She assigns the experienced, certified nurse to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who
also requires continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. She assigns
the nurse with less than 1 year of experience to two patients who are more stable. This as-
signment reflects implementation of the:
a. crew resource management model
b. National Patient Safety Goals
c. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model
d. synergy model of practice - ANSWER d. synergy model of practice
The vision of the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is a healthcare system driven
by:
a. a healthy work environment.
b. care from a multiprofessional team under the direction of a critical care physician.
c. the needs of critically ill patients and families.
d. respectful, healing, and humane environments. - ANSWER c. the needs of critically ill
patients and families.
The most important outcome of effective communication is to:
a. demonstrate caring practices to family members.
b. ensure that patient teaching is done.
c. meet the diversity needs of patients.
d. reduce patient errors. - ANSWER d. reduce patient errors.
You are caring for a critically ill patient whose urine output has been low for 2 consecutive
hours. After a thorough patient assessment, you call the intensivist with the following re-
port. Dr. Smith, Im calling about Mrs. P., your 65-year-old patient in CCU 10. Her urine output
3
, for the past 2 hours totaled only 40 mL. She arrived from surgery to repair an aortic aneu-
rysm 4 hours ago and remains on mechanical ventilation. In the past 2 hours, her heart rate
has increased from 80 to 100 beats per minute and her blood pressure has decreased from
128/82 to 100/70 mm Hg. She is being given an infusion of normal saline at 100 mL per hour.
Her right atrial pressure through the subclavian central line is low at 3 mm Hg. Her urine is
concentrated. Her BUN and creatinine levels have been stable and in normal range. Her ab-
dominal dressing is dry with no indication of bleeding. My assessment suggests that Mrs. P.
is hypovolemic - ANSWER b. Background
The family members of a critically ill, 90-year-old patient bring in a copy of the patients living
will to the hospital, which identifies the patients wishes regarding health care. You discuss
contents of the living will with the patients physician. This is an example of implementation
of which of the AACN Standards of Professional Performance?
a. Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
b. Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
c. Considers factors related to safe patient care
d. Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice - ANSWER b. Acts ethi-
cally on the behalf of the patient and family
Which of the following assists the critical care nurse in ensuring that care is appropriate and
based on research?
a. Clinical practice guidelines
b. Computerized physician order entry
c. Consulting with advanced practice nurses
d. Implementing Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goals - ANSWER a. Clinical
practice guidelines
Comparing the patients current (home) medications with those ordered during hospitaliza-
tion and communicating a complete list of medications to the next provider when the pa-
tient is transferred within an organization or to another setting are strategies to:
4
