Unit 3 - Safety Flashcards
Factors affecting safety?
- Psychosocial considerations (smoking)
- Basic needs (Maslow)
- Physical Hazards (exposure to infection, pollution, terrorism)
Developmental considerations
Infants/toddlers/preschoolers
injuries, poisoning, incorrect vehicle restraints,
* Must educate parents
Developmental considerations
Adolescents
identity, peers, act impulsively, risk-taking, behaviours (smoking), ingestion of drugs increase drowning, vehicle accidents
Developmental considerations
School-Aged children
bullying, increased activity –> helmets
Developmental considerations
Young Adults
Lifestyle habits, stress
Developmental considerations
Middle-aged adults
responsibilities; accidents
Developmental considerations
Older adults
physiological changes (e.g., decreased vision, hearing, reaction time), chronic conditions, risk of falls,
Health care enviro risks
Chemicals – disinfectants, meds, Stronger in hospitals
Microorganisms – nosocomial infections
Equipment – check regularly (Suction/ 02 working)
Perception of safety
Risk for medical/procedural errors – incident reports
Falls can be caused by
Medications
Delirium
Limited mobility
4 individual risk factors
- Lifestyle (dangerous job, drug withdrawal)
- Impaired mobility (poor coordination, weakness)
- Sensory/ Communication impairment (visual, hearing, language barrier)
- Lack of safety awareness (expiration dates, poisonous substances storage)
9 Life-saving Pt safety sol’n
- Be aware of look-alike & sound-alike medications
- Use pt identification
- Communicate during pt handover
- Perform correct procedure @ correct body site
- Control concentrated electrolyte sol’n
- Ensure meds accuracy @ transition in care
- Avoid catheter & tubing misconnections
8 Don’t reuse single-use injection devices - Improve hand hygiene to prevent HAI
Ways to prevent falls
Check pts frequently.
Use brakes on beds, commodes, wheel chairs, ect.
Use shoes or rubberized slippers.
Keep necessary items w/in reach.
Types of restraints
Physical (impeding pt movement) –> Side rails
Chemical (meds)
Environmental (locking doors)
Risks of using physical restraints
Humiliation; fear; impaired circulation; pressure ulcers; incontinence; decreased muscle mass; death; entrapment
Objectives that must be met in order to use restraints
- Reduce risk of pt injury
- Prevent interruption of therapy (nasogastric tube feeding)
- Prevent pt from removing life-support equipment
- Reduce risk of injury to others
In which of the following situations is a physical restraint appropriate?
A. To restrain a patient on a very busy shift when the unit is short staffed.
B. In situations where bed exit alarms (e.g., Bed-check or Ambularm) have been unsuccessful.
C. To restrain a patient who has just struck a nursing colleague.
D. On a newly admitted patient who has just crawled out of bed.
B. In situations where bed exit alarms (e.g., Bed-check or Ambularm) have been unsuccessful.
After the nurse assists a patient with a history of seizures to a recliner chair, the patient begins to have a seizure. What should the nurse do immediately?
A. Turn the patient onto his or her stomach.
B. Recline the patient’s chair all the way back.
C. Return the patient to the bed and place the patient on his or her side.
D. Slide the patient to the floor and cradle the patient’s head.
D. Slide the patient to the floor and cradle the patient’s head.
Which of the following statements are true?
Select all that apply.
A. An example of an environmental restraint is a locked nursing unit.
B. Mechanical restraints should be applied when the nurse is busy.
C. Chemical restraints are psychoactive medications.
D. Restraints must not be considered punitive.
A. An example of an environmental restraint is a locked nursing unit.
C. Chemical restraints are psychoactive medications.
D. Restraints must not be considered punitive.
A couple has brought in their adolescent daughter for a school physical examination. The parents tell the nurse that they are worried about all the safety risks for this age group. As the nurse plans to teach the parents about these risks, the nurse remembers that adolescents are at a greater risk for injury from which of the following?
A. Home accidents
B. Poisoning and child abduction
C. Physiological changes of aging
D.Automobile accidents, suicide, and substance abuse
D.Automobile accidents, suicide, and substance abuse
As a member of the hospital’s bioterrorism team, the nurse understands the importance of knowing how an organism is transmitted. Smallpox has the potential to spread quickly because it is transmitted via which route? A. Airborne B. Ingestion C. Absorption D. Bloodborne
A. Airborne
The nurse discovers an electrical fire in a patient’s room. What would the nurse’s first action be?
A. Activate the fire alarm.
B. Confine the fire by closing all doors and windows.
C. Evacuate any patients or visitors in immediate danger.
D. Extinguish the fire by using the nearest fire extinguisher.
C. Evacuate any patients or visitors in immediate danger.
When providing health maintenance teaching to new employees in the food-handling department, the nurse emphasizes the need to perform hand hygiene after using the bathroom to prevent which of the following? A. Food poisoning B. Spread of hepatitis A C. Bacterial food infections D. Salmonella contamination
B. Spread of hepatitis A
Helen Chow, an 89-year-old patient, has a history significant for confusion, impaired judgement, and incontinence. Helen’s cousin remarks that Helen is “cheerful” and “kind.” Living alone, Helen may be at risk for which of the following? A. Falls B. Substance abuse C. Vision loss D. Depression
A. Falls
The family of your confused ambulatory patient insists that all four side rails be up when the patient is alone. Which is the best way to handle this situation?
A. Ask them to stay with the patient at all times.
B. Inform them of the risks associated with side rail use.
C. Thank them for being conscientious, and raise all four rails.
D. Provide the patient with a one-to-one sitter while the side rails are up.
B. Inform them of the risks associated with side rail use.