CPPS PRACTICE EXAM QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS
You are educating clinical managers in your healthcare facility on how to identify
appropriate events for conducting a Root Cause Analysis. Which event provides the
best opportunity for an RCA? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. A post-op patient removes his
own IV causing a skin tear from the tape
b. A patient with no known allergies experiences an anaphylactic reaction to an
antibiotic requiring transfer to ICU.
c. The biopsy samples from a colonoscopy are never received by pathology after the
procedure
d. There have been 3 occurrences of depressed respirations in the same department in
the last 4 months related to sedation
The answer is C. The biopsy samples from a colonoscopy are never received by
pathology after the procedure - CORRECT ANSWER-
The instrument count is incorrect at the conclusion of a surgical procedure. The hospital
policy does not stipulate that the surgeon remain on the premises until an x-ray is
obtained. The surgeon leaves the hospital to catch a flight. The x-ray reveals a retained
instrument. Another surgeon is contacted to remove the retained instrument. What
should leadership do next? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. Create a process map of how
instruments are managed during surgery looking for latent flaws
b. Revise the hospital policy to make it clear that surgeons must stay in the OR until
instrument count issues are resolved
c. Counsel the surgeon about customary clinical standards for a surgeon using
appropriate accountability system
d. Reeducate the OR nursing staff on keeping track of instruments on the sterile field
The answer is C. Counsel the surgeon about customary clinical standards for a surgeon
using appropriate accountability system - CORRECT ANSWER-
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit does not comply with barcode medication
administration (BCMA) while caring for one of her patients. What should her supervisor
, do? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. Ask staff if there are adequate scanners to meet their
needs
b. Counsel the nurse on the importance of following policy
c. Request that the pharmacy run a report of BCMA compliance rates of the unit
d. Ask the nurse what was occurring at the time, and why she chose to bypass the
policy
The answer is D. Ask the nurse what was occurring at the time, and why she chose to
bypass the policy - CORRECT ANSWER-
The Board of Hospital A wants to know how Hospital A's safety performance in central
line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) compares to that of other hospitals in
their region. Which data display would best inform them for that decision? - CORRECT
ANSWER- a. Control charts of overall infection rate by quarter for the past two years for
each hospital in the region
b. A table indicating the CLABSI infection rates of all hospitals in the region relative to
the National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark for CLABSI infections for the past 2
years
c. A written report summarizing the current CLABSI prevention protocols of each
hospital in the region
d. A table showing the number of CLABSI infections in each hospital in the region by
quarter for the past 2 years
The answer is B. A table indicating the CLABSI infection rates of all hospitals in the
region relative to the National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark for CLABSI
infections for the past 2 years - CORRECT ANSWER-
Your organization utilizes a "home grown" electronic safety event reporting system that
is no longer meeting the needs of the organization. Hospital administration is asking for
your opinion for next steps. What next steps would you take to identify a replacement
system? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. Ask information systems to either fix the old one or
build a new one
b. Identify key stakeholders and perform a gap analysis of current state to ideal state
ANSWERS
You are educating clinical managers in your healthcare facility on how to identify
appropriate events for conducting a Root Cause Analysis. Which event provides the
best opportunity for an RCA? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. A post-op patient removes his
own IV causing a skin tear from the tape
b. A patient with no known allergies experiences an anaphylactic reaction to an
antibiotic requiring transfer to ICU.
c. The biopsy samples from a colonoscopy are never received by pathology after the
procedure
d. There have been 3 occurrences of depressed respirations in the same department in
the last 4 months related to sedation
The answer is C. The biopsy samples from a colonoscopy are never received by
pathology after the procedure - CORRECT ANSWER-
The instrument count is incorrect at the conclusion of a surgical procedure. The hospital
policy does not stipulate that the surgeon remain on the premises until an x-ray is
obtained. The surgeon leaves the hospital to catch a flight. The x-ray reveals a retained
instrument. Another surgeon is contacted to remove the retained instrument. What
should leadership do next? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. Create a process map of how
instruments are managed during surgery looking for latent flaws
b. Revise the hospital policy to make it clear that surgeons must stay in the OR until
instrument count issues are resolved
c. Counsel the surgeon about customary clinical standards for a surgeon using
appropriate accountability system
d. Reeducate the OR nursing staff on keeping track of instruments on the sterile field
The answer is C. Counsel the surgeon about customary clinical standards for a surgeon
using appropriate accountability system - CORRECT ANSWER-
A nurse on a medical-surgical unit does not comply with barcode medication
administration (BCMA) while caring for one of her patients. What should her supervisor
, do? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. Ask staff if there are adequate scanners to meet their
needs
b. Counsel the nurse on the importance of following policy
c. Request that the pharmacy run a report of BCMA compliance rates of the unit
d. Ask the nurse what was occurring at the time, and why she chose to bypass the
policy
The answer is D. Ask the nurse what was occurring at the time, and why she chose to
bypass the policy - CORRECT ANSWER-
The Board of Hospital A wants to know how Hospital A's safety performance in central
line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) compares to that of other hospitals in
their region. Which data display would best inform them for that decision? - CORRECT
ANSWER- a. Control charts of overall infection rate by quarter for the past two years for
each hospital in the region
b. A table indicating the CLABSI infection rates of all hospitals in the region relative to
the National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark for CLABSI infections for the past 2
years
c. A written report summarizing the current CLABSI prevention protocols of each
hospital in the region
d. A table showing the number of CLABSI infections in each hospital in the region by
quarter for the past 2 years
The answer is B. A table indicating the CLABSI infection rates of all hospitals in the
region relative to the National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark for CLABSI
infections for the past 2 years - CORRECT ANSWER-
Your organization utilizes a "home grown" electronic safety event reporting system that
is no longer meeting the needs of the organization. Hospital administration is asking for
your opinion for next steps. What next steps would you take to identify a replacement
system? - CORRECT ANSWER- a. Ask information systems to either fix the old one or
build a new one
b. Identify key stakeholders and perform a gap analysis of current state to ideal state
