Chapter 8 Education and Research

Question 1

Adult learners are often motivated to learn by:

1) The need for new skills
2) Professional standard mandates
3) Desire for promotion and increased salary
4) Changing cultural expectations

a. 2,4 b. 1,3 c. 3,4 d. 1,4

Answer 1

1.

1) The need for new skills
3) Desire for promotion and increased salary

b. 1,3

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Question 2

The healthcare facility has established a goal of improving infection prevention competency with hand hygiene among all staff. Which of the following education and training approaches should the infection preventionist (IP) recommend as a priority?

a. Analysis of human factors that may present unrecognized obstacles for compliance
b. Attending local/state health department educational programs on hand hygiene
c. Implementation of a mentoring program based on peer-to-peer instruction and coaching
d. Intensified disciplinary actions for employees who do not follow hand hygiene procedures

Answer 2

2.
c. Implementation of a mentoring program based on peer-to-peer instruction and coaching

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Question 3

Which of the following should be used as a quality improvement measure for infection prevention education programs?

a. The frequency of classes offered through the year
b. The average number of attendees per class offered
c. Summary of pre/post-test scores for each class
d. Analysis of program evaluation scores for all classes

Answer 3

3.
d. Analysis of program evaluation scores for all classes

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Question 4

The IP is asked to provide content for a hybrid education program. This model is most often based on:

a. Attendance at a live event with assigned online follow-up activities
b. Combination of online and independent study for a specific topic
c. Independent study with concurrent study for a specific topic
d. Self-assessment of learning needs that is used to develop an instructional plan

Answer 4

4. a. Attendance at a live event with assigned online follow-up activities

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Question 5

Which of the following situations would be best for the IP to apply just-in-time learning principles?

a. During a 30-minutes orientation session for new employees
b. With staff who repeatedly have problems applying infection definitions
c. In a medical staff meeting where surveillance priorities are being discussed
d. For nurse managers evaluating monthly infection trend reports

Answer 5

5.
b. With staff who repeatedly have problems applying infection definitions

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Question 6

A form of interactive training is often preferred among adult learners. However, in some situations a lecture may represent the best approach. In which of the following situations should the IP consider using a lecture?

a. When reviewing accreditation survey results for the infection prevention program with managers
b. When addressing inaccurate data entry for reportable infections by a health data analyst
c. After observing unsafe disposal of contaminated syringes in the Emergency Department
d. When discovering employees with influenza-like symptoms providing patient care

Answer 6

6. a. When reviewing accreditation survey results for the infection prevention program with managers

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Question 7

`Programs to build infection prevention competency have traditionally focused on a combination of skill and ability. Today, however, competency may include which of the following additional components?

1) Emotional intelligence
2) Cultural diversity
3) Communication methods
4) Effectiveness within a team

a. 1,2,3 b. 2,3,4 c. 1,3,4 d, 1,2,4

Answer 7

7.

1) Emotional intelligence
3) Communication methods
4) Effectiveness within a team

c. 1,3,4

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Question 8

The director has requested that the IP summarize the results of an education program presented to five different groups within the institution. The director specifically requests that the method used not only indicate the overall mean score for each group but also aid a simple comparative analysis for all who participated. The best data display technique to summarize these findings would be:

a. A line list
b. A pie chart
c. A bar chart
d. A spreadsheet

Answer 8

8.
b. A pie chart

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Question 9

Many infection prevention educational programs address behavioral change. To achieve sustained success following initial training, the IP must focus on which aspect of behavior?

a. Avoidance of behavior change
b. Repetition and reinforcement
c. Need for approval and recognition
d. Critical thinking and judgement

Answer 9

9. b. Repetition and reinforcement

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APIC Infection Prevention and Behavioral Interventions

Question 10

10. In which of the following infection prevention topics is the required educational content for employees most clearly described by a U.S. regulatory agency?
    a. Hand Hygiene monitoring systems
    b. Environmental cleaning of hard surfaces
    c. Active surveillance for MRSA in hospitals
    d. Preventing employee exposure to blood borne pathogens

Answer 10

10.
d. Preventing employee exposure to blood borne pathogens

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Question 11

All of the following are features of well-written research methods sections EXCEPT:

a. Time period for defining cases and controls
b. Clear criteria for defining cases and controls
c. Questions the research will answer
d. Methods of quality assurance

Answer 11

11.
c. Questions the research will answer

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Question 12

What of the following questions should be asked when evaluating results from a research study?

1) Were the instruments valid for the study?
2) Is this a peer-review research journal?
3) Was the sample representative of the intended population?
4. Do the conclusions prove the hypothesis?

a. 1,2,3 b. 2,3,4 c. 1,3,4 d. 1,2,4

Answer 12

12.

1) Were the instruments valid for the study?
2) Is this a peer-review research journal?
3) Was the sample representative of the intended population?

a. 1,2,3

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Question 13

An assessment of internal validity and the influence of bias can be found in which section of a research study?

a. Introduction
b. Results
c. Discussion
d. Methods

Answer 13

13
c. Discussion

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Question 14

The abstract in a research study must include:

a. A review of the literature
b. A biographical profile of the principal investigator
c. The intent or objective of the study
d. Conflict of interest disclosures

Answer 14

14.
c. The intent or objective of the study

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Question 15

Which of the following refers to the statistical technique that combines the results of a large number of studies?

a. Linear regression analysis
b. Inferential statistics
c. Meta-analysis
d. Axiomatic approach

Answer 15

15. c. Meta-analysis

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Question 16

The IP is reviewing a research study to assess the association between needless connector change frequency and CLABSI rate. In multivariate analysis, the CLABSI rate was significantly higher (p=0.001) among patients that had Needless Connector changed every 24 hours compared to patients with Needless Connector that were changed at 96 hour intervals. The IP knows that the p value indicates more evidence in support of which of the following?

a. The alternative hypothesis
b. The quality of the analysis
c. The null hypothesis
d. The research hypothesis

Answer 16

16.
a. The alternative hypothesis

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Question 17

An employee has scored below the minimal acceptable level on the annual review of infection prevention competencies. The employee has attempted to pass the written test three times and has now been referred to the IP for additional help. What should the IP evaluate first?

a. The employee’s motivation to learn or review the material
b. The length of time the individual has been employed in healthcare
c. The employee’s anxiety regarding test taking
d. The employee’s literacy and reading ability

Answer 17

17.
d. The employee’s literacy and reading ability

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Question 18

During the infection prevention class, one person repeatedly interrupts, contradicts the guest instructor, and makes negative comments. The most important thing that the IP can do in this situation is:

a. Request that the individual be removed by security
b. Insist that the individual interrupting the class remain silent
c. Remain calm and asses the best way to intervene
d. Dismiss the class and apologize to the instructor

Answer 18

18.
c. Remain calm and asses the best way to intervene

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Question 19

The need to include employee education for infection prevention is included in all of the following programs components EXCEPT:

a. The facility infection prevention risk assessment
b. The facility’s infection prevention program plan
c. The annual facility budget and allocation of research
d. The facility’s 5-year strategic plan

Answer 19

19.
d. The facility’s 5-year strategic plan

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Question 20

The IP has received feedback from course attendees that the didactic component of the program is too lengthy and difficult. Which training component should the IP now re-evaluate for its effectiveness?

a. Laboratory-based simulation training
b. Supervised clinical practice in patient care areas
c. The classroom portions of the program
d. The testing requirements for course completion

Answer 20

20.
c. The classroom portions of the program

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Question 21

Direct observation of performance by an individual of a specific skill may yield a temporary and artificially high result. This phenomenon is known as the:

a. Hawthorn effect
b. Measure of success
c. Score inflation risk
d. Robertson’s rule

Answer 21

21.
a. Hawthorn effect

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Question 22

The IP wants to ensure that educational programs are based on the most rigorous and reliable sources of clinical evidence. Which of the following sources would best meet this need?

a. Standards issued by national or international authoritative sources.
b. Best-practice guidelines from professional organizations
c. Consensus statements published by leading subject matter experts
d. Literature review of publications during the pat 5 years.

Answer 22

22.
a. Standards issued by national or international authoritative sources.

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Question 23

The process of evaluating learner response to individual test questions in order to determine the quality and accuracy of those questions is known as:

a. Validity testing
b. Correlation
c. Item analysis
d. Risk adjustment

Answer 23

23. c. Item analysis

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Question 24

After holding a house-wide education session on hand hygiene, the IP wants to find out how effective the sessions were in changing hand hygiene behavior. The most common way to assess hand hygiene behavior is to:

a. Give participants a post-test to find out how much information they retained about hand hygiene
b. Monitor job performance reviews for 1 year after the session to identify deficiencies related to hand hygiene
c. Send an anonymous observer to the floors to assess hand hygiene compliance
d. Conduct a survey to find out whether participants have changed their hand hygiene behavior

Answer 24

24.
c. Send an anonymous observer to the floors to assess hand hygiene compliance

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Question 25

Which of the following would be an enabling factor to increase hand hygiene compliance with staff in the Intensive Care Unit?

a. Easy access to hand sanitizer, sinks, and soap
b. Staff rewards for good hand hygiene
c. Staff knowledge of contact transmission of infections
d. Counseling for staff members who are observed not performing hand hygiene

Answer 25

25.
a. Easy access to hand sanitizer, sinks, and soap

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