Ambulatory Care Patient Assessment and Triage Flashcards
7 cards from real Ambulatory Care Test practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Ambulatory Care Patient Assessment and Triage flashcards as text
A patient calls reporting sudden onset of severe chest pain radiating to the left arm with diaphoresis. What is the MOST appropriate triage action?
Answer: Instruct the patient to call 911 immediately
Chest pain with radiation to the left arm and diaphoresis are classic signs of a myocardial infarction requiring emergency services.
During a telephone triage call, a parent reports their 2-year-old ingested an unknown household chemical 10 minutes ago. What is the FIRST action?
Answer: Direct the parent to call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222)
Poison Control provides expert, substance-specific guidance and should be contacted immediately in any ingestion case.
Which pain scale is MOST appropriate when assessing pain in a non-verbal pediatric patient aged 2 years?
Answer: FLACC Scale (Face, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability)
The FLACC scale uses behavioral observations making it ideal for non-verbal or preverbal children.
A patient presents with a blood pressure of 180/110 mmHg and reports a headache but no other symptoms. Per JNC guidelines, this is classified as:
Answer: Hypertensive urgency requiring oral medication adjustment
Hypertensive urgency involves severely elevated BP without evidence of end-organ damage, managed with oral medications.
A nurse is triaging patients in a busy ambulatory clinic. Which patient should be seen FIRST?
Answer: A 60-year-old with new onset confusion and slurred speech
New onset confusion and slurred speech are signs of a possible stroke and require immediate assessment.
When collecting a chief complaint during patient intake, the nurse should document it:
Answer: In the patient's own words using quotation marks
Documenting the chief complaint in the patient's own words preserves accuracy and provides a baseline for clinical comparison.
A patient reports taking ibuprofen 800mg three times daily for the past 2 weeks without relief of knee pain. The MOST important assessment priority is:
Answer: Evaluating for NSAID-related gastrointestinal or renal complications
Prolonged high-dose NSAID use increases risk of GI bleeding, peptic ulcers, and renal impairment requiring evaluation.