Safety Flashcards
Identify the Joint Commission 2011 National Patient Safety goals for hospitals
a. Identifies patients correctly ( using 2 identifiers)
b. Improve staff communication (timely reporting of test results)
c. Use medicines safely (labeling)
d. Reduce the risk of healthcare associated infections (hand washing and safe practices)
e. Check patient medicines (current medications list)
Environment
Includes all of the physical and psychosocial factors that influence the life and the survival of the patient
Carbon Monoxide
Low concentrations cause nausea, dizziness, headache, and fatigue
Poison
A substance that impairs health or destroys life when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed by the body
Food and Drug Administration
Federal Agency responsible for regulating the manufacturer, processing, and distribution of foods, drugs, and cosmetics
Hypothermia
Core temperature is 35 C or below
Frostbite
Surface area of the skin freezes as a result of exposure to extremely cold temps
Unintentional injuries
The fifth leading cause of death for all Americans of all ages
Pollution
Harmful chemical or waste material discharged into the water, soil, or air
Rear facing car seats
Recommended for all children younger than 2 years of age
Water Pollution
Contamination of lakes, rivers, and streams by industrial pollutants
Falls
Leading cause of unintentional death for all adults older than 64 years of age
Bioterrorism
The use of anthrax, small pox, pneumonic plague and botulism
In addition to being knowledgeable about the environment, nurses must be familiar with…
a. Persons developmental level
b. Mobility, sensory, and cognitive status
c. Lifestyle choices
d. Knowledge of common safety precautions
Identify the individual risk factors that can pose a threat to safety…
a. Lifestyle
b. Impaired mobility
c. sensory or communication impairment
d. Lack of sensory awareness
List the four major risks to patient safety in the health care environment
a. Falls
b. Patient-inherent accidents (seizures, burns, inflicted cuts)
c. Procedure related accidents (med administration, improper procedures)
d. Equipment related accidents (rapid IV infusions, electrical hazards)
Identify the specific patient assessments to perform when considering possible threats to the patients safety…
a. Nursing Hx
b. Patient’s home environment
c. Risk for falls
d. Risk for medical errors
Identify the features that should alert nurses to the possibility of a bioterrorism-related outbreak
a. A disease or strain not endemic
b. Unusual antibiotic resistance patterns
c. Atypical clinical presentation
d. Clusters of patients arriving from a single locale
e. Other inconsistent elements (number of cases, mortality and morbidity rates)
Identify actual or potential nursing diagnoses that apply to patients whose safety is threatened…
a. Risk for falls
b. Impaired home maintenance
c. Risk for injury
d. Deficient knowledge
e. Risk for poisoning
f. Risk for contamination
g. Risk for suffocation
h. Risk for thermal injury
i. Risk for trauma
Identify the plan for a patient who has a “high risk for falls”
a. select nursing interventions to promote safety according to the patients development and health care needs
b. Consult with OT and PT for assistive devices
c. Select interventions that will improve the safety of the patients home environment
Identify the strategies needed to provide safe nursing care…
a. Demonstrate effective use of technology and standardized practices that support safety and quality
b. Demonstrate effective use of strategies to reduce the risk of harm to self or others
c. Use appropriate strategies to reduce reliance on memory.
A physical restraint is…
a human, mechanical, or physical device that is used with or without the patients permission to restrict his or her freedom of movement or normal access to a persons body and is not a usual part of the treatment plan.
Use of restraints must meet the following objectives:
a. Reduce the risk of patient injury from falls
b. prevent interruption of therapy
c. Prevent a confused or combative patient from removing life support equipment
d. reduce the risk of injury to others by the patient
Explain why an ambularm is used
to alert the staff when a patient is up and out of bed
Explain the mneumonic RACE to set priorities in case of fire…
R - Rescue and remove all patients in immediate danger
A - Activate Alarm
C - Confine the fire by closing doors and windows and turning off O2 and electrical equipment
E - Extinguish the fire using and extinguisher
Explain seizure precautions
Nursing interventions to protect patients from traumatic injury, positioning for adequate ventilation, and drainage or oral secretions, and providing privacy and support after the event.
Identify the measures with which the nurse must be familiar to reduce exposure to radiation…
Nurse limits the time spent near the source, makes the distance from the source as great as possible, and uses shielding devices.
The Joint Commission requires that hospitals have an emergency management plan that addresses:
a. The identification of possible emergency situations and their probable impact
b. The maintenance of an adequate amount of supplies
c. The formal response plan for staff and hospital operations
Which of the following would most immediately threaten an individuals safety?
a. 70% humidity
b. A sprained ankle
c. Lack of water
d. Unrefrigerated fresh vegetables
C
The developmental stage that carries the highest risk of an injury from a fall is…
a. Preschool
b. Adulthood
c. School age
d. Older adult
D
Mrs. Field falls asleep while smoking in bed and drops the burning cigarette on her blanket. When she awakens, her bed is on fire, and she quickly calls the nurse. On observing the fire, the nurse should immediately:
a. Report the fire
b. Attempt to extinguish the fire
c. Assist Mrs. Field to a safe place
d. Close all doors and windows to contain fire
C
Sixteen year old Jimmy is admitted to an adolescent unit with a diagnosis of substance abuse. The nurse examines Jimmy and finds that he has bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and an unstable gait. He smells of alcohol and is unable to answer questions appropriately. The appropriate nursing diagnosis would be:
a. Self care deficit related to alcohol abuse
b. Deficient knowledge related to alcohol abuse
c. Disturbed thought process related to sensory overload
d. High risk for injury related to impaired sensory perception
D
