Chapter 25: Workplace Issues
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How does the federal government affect environmental safety in the hospital
setting?
a. Requires employers to provide a safe working environment
b. Identifies those nurses who are not implementing standard precautions
c. Works with the state boards of nursing in disciplining nurses
d. Requires employers to establish guidelines for safe nursing practice
ANS: A
The purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal
agency, is to establish safety and health standards in the work environment. OSHA
requires employers to provide a safe work environment for employees. OSHA is part
of the U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA does not work on discipline issues because
that is the function of the state board of nursing. Guidelines for safe nursing practice
are provided by accepted nursing standards. The CQI group at the hospital would
identify issues or violations of not implementing standard precautions.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 585 OBJ: Determine your risk for encountering a workplace
issue that can affect your health or well-being. TOP: Environmental safety
MSC: NCLEX®: Safe and effective care environment—safety and infection
control
2. A nurse professor is educating nursing students on the American Nurses
Association’s recommendation to use assistive devices for safe patient handling.
, The nurse professor judges the teaching to be effective when one of the students
states
a. “Research indicated that patients were being injured by falls during
transfers.”
b. “Research indicated that back injuries in staff nurses were occurring even
with good body mechanics.”
c. “Research showed an increased number of lawsuits resulted from patient
falls.”
d. “Research uncovered reports from state boards of nursing showed
increased back injuries.”
ANS: B
In many situations, proper body mechanics are not adequate to protect the nurse. The
nurse cannot adjust body mechanics in a way that fully protects the back. Teaching
nurses to use proper body mechanics to lift and turn patients has not resulted in fewer
injuries. The current recommendations by the ANA include the use of assistive
patient-handling devices for lifting, transferring, and turning patients. The state board
of nursing would not necessarily be the agency tracking data regarding back injuries.
This would more than likely be the local or state hospital association tracking these
data. Even if there are increased lawsuits related to back injuries, there are also a great
number of injuries that do not end up in litigation, so the data would be inaccurate to
make the assumption.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluation/Evaluating REF: p. 577
OBJ: Determine your risk for encountering a workplace issue that can affect
your health or well-being. TOP: Ergonomic hazards
MSC: NCLEX®: Safe and effective care environment—safety and infection
control
3. The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000 was implemented to prevent
health care workers from experiencing needlestick injuries. Which of the
following is required to be documented regarding a needlestick injury?
, a. Notification of the patient’s physician
b. Informing the hospital risk management department
c. Documenting the department or work area in which the exposure occurred
d. Sending the injured staff person to the emergency room for
documentation of the incident
ANS: C
The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requires documentation of the department
and work area in which the needlestick injury occurred. It also requires employers to
maintain a sharps injury log to document the type and brand of device involved and
an explanation of how the incident occurred. The information is to be recorded and
maintained in a way that protects the confidentiality of injured employees. The test
question is asking for “required documentation,” so notifying the doctor is not
appropriate. More than likely, the person would be sent to the occupational safety
department for follow-up and documentation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering REF: p. 585
OBJ: Determine your risk for encountering a workplace issue that can affect
your health or well-being. TOP: Workplace safety
MSC: NCLEX®: Safe and effective care environment—safety and infection
control
4. A nurse feels bullied at work. Which of the following actions should the nurse
take first?
a. Ignore the bullying.
b. Report the bullying.
c. Take action against the bully him/herself.
d. Take time off from work.
ANS: B
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. How does the federal government affect environmental safety in the hospital
setting?
a. Requires employers to provide a safe working environment
b. Identifies those nurses who are not implementing standard precautions
c. Works with the state boards of nursing in disciplining nurses
d. Requires employers to establish guidelines for safe nursing practice
ANS: A
The purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), a federal
agency, is to establish safety and health standards in the work environment. OSHA
requires employers to provide a safe work environment for employees. OSHA is part
of the U.S. Department of Labor. OSHA does not work on discipline issues because
that is the function of the state board of nursing. Guidelines for safe nursing practice
are provided by accepted nursing standards. The CQI group at the hospital would
identify issues or violations of not implementing standard precautions.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering
REF: p. 585 OBJ: Determine your risk for encountering a workplace
issue that can affect your health or well-being. TOP: Environmental safety
MSC: NCLEX®: Safe and effective care environment—safety and infection
control
2. A nurse professor is educating nursing students on the American Nurses
Association’s recommendation to use assistive devices for safe patient handling.
, The nurse professor judges the teaching to be effective when one of the students
states
a. “Research indicated that patients were being injured by falls during
transfers.”
b. “Research indicated that back injuries in staff nurses were occurring even
with good body mechanics.”
c. “Research showed an increased number of lawsuits resulted from patient
falls.”
d. “Research uncovered reports from state boards of nursing showed
increased back injuries.”
ANS: B
In many situations, proper body mechanics are not adequate to protect the nurse. The
nurse cannot adjust body mechanics in a way that fully protects the back. Teaching
nurses to use proper body mechanics to lift and turn patients has not resulted in fewer
injuries. The current recommendations by the ANA include the use of assistive
patient-handling devices for lifting, transferring, and turning patients. The state board
of nursing would not necessarily be the agency tracking data regarding back injuries.
This would more than likely be the local or state hospital association tracking these
data. Even if there are increased lawsuits related to back injuries, there are also a great
number of injuries that do not end up in litigation, so the data would be inaccurate to
make the assumption.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Evaluation/Evaluating REF: p. 577
OBJ: Determine your risk for encountering a workplace issue that can affect
your health or well-being. TOP: Ergonomic hazards
MSC: NCLEX®: Safe and effective care environment—safety and infection
control
3. The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act of 2000 was implemented to prevent
health care workers from experiencing needlestick injuries. Which of the
following is required to be documented regarding a needlestick injury?
, a. Notification of the patient’s physician
b. Informing the hospital risk management department
c. Documenting the department or work area in which the exposure occurred
d. Sending the injured staff person to the emergency room for
documentation of the incident
ANS: C
The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act requires documentation of the department
and work area in which the needlestick injury occurred. It also requires employers to
maintain a sharps injury log to document the type and brand of device involved and
an explanation of how the incident occurred. The information is to be recorded and
maintained in a way that protects the confidentiality of injured employees. The test
question is asking for “required documentation,” so notifying the doctor is not
appropriate. More than likely, the person would be sent to the occupational safety
department for follow-up and documentation.
PTS: 1 DIF: Cognitive Level: Knowledge/Remembering REF: p. 585
OBJ: Determine your risk for encountering a workplace issue that can affect
your health or well-being. TOP: Workplace safety
MSC: NCLEX®: Safe and effective care environment—safety and infection
control
4. A nurse feels bullied at work. Which of the following actions should the nurse
take first?
a. Ignore the bullying.
b. Report the bullying.
c. Take action against the bully him/herself.
d. Take time off from work.
ANS: B
