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 presents with a suspected urinary tract infection. Which additional history finding would MOST indicate the need for urgent evaluation rather than empiric antibiotic treatment?
Answer: Flank pain, fever of 102.5°F, and rigors
Flank pain, high fever, and rigors suggest pyelonephritis or urosepsis, requiring urgent evaluation and potentially IV antibiotics.
When triaging a patient who speaks limited English, the BEST practice for obtaining an accurate patient history is:
Answer: Use a qualified medical interpreter, either in-person or via phone/video
Qualified medical interpreters ensure accurate, confidential communication and are legally required under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
During triage, a 32-year-old female reports her last menstrual period was 8 weeks ago, she has a positive home pregnancy test, and is now experiencing sharp unilateral pelvic pain and light vaginal bleeding. The nurse should suspect:
Answer: Ectopic pregnancy requiring urgent evaluation
Unilateral pelvic pain with vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy is a classic presentation of ectopic pregnancy, a surgical emergency.
The SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) framework is PRIMARILY used in ambulatory care to:
Answer: Communicate critical patient information to providers in a structured format
SBAR is a standardized communication tool that ensures clear, concise, and complete handoff or escalation communication between clinicians.
A patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) calls reporting increased dyspnea and a change in sputum color from white to yellow-green. The nurse should triage this as:
Answer: Urgent — assess further and facilitate same-day evaluation for a possible COPD exacerbation
Increased dyspnea and purulent sputum in a COPD patient are hallmark signs of an acute exacerbation requiring prompt same-day evaluation and treatment.
Which of the following is an example of a subjective finding during a patient assessment?
Answer: Patient reports feeling 'short of breath when climbing stairs'
Subjective data is information reported by the patient that cannot be directly measured or observed by the clinician.
A nurse is reviewing a patient's medication list and notes the patient is taking St. John's Wort along with a prescribed SSRI antidepressant. The PRIORITY concern is:
Answer: Risk of serotonin syndrome due to additive serotonergic effects
St. John's Wort has serotonergic activity; combining it with an SSRI can precipitate serotonin syndrome, a potentially life-threatening condition.