ASC Interprofessional Collaboration 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a stroke code activation, the bedside nurse notes the patient's last known well time is unclear. What is the BEST interprofessional action?
- Proceed with tPA without further clarification
- Convene a rapid huddle with the neurologist, nurse, and family to clarify the timeline (Correct answer)
- Delay treatment until the primary care physician arrives
- Document 'unknown onset' and cancel the stroke alert
Correct answer: Convene a rapid huddle with the neurologist, nurse, and family to clarify the timeline
A brief team huddle with all available parties, including family, is the most effective way to clarify onset time and guide time-sensitive treatment decisions.
Question 2: Which tool is most commonly used to structure interprofessional handoff communication in stroke units?
- NIHSS scoring
- SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) (Correct answer)
- GCS checklist
- mRS grading scale
Correct answer: SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation)
SBAR provides a standardized framework that ensures consistent, complete communication during patient handoffs between interprofessional team members.
Question 3: A speech-language pathologist recommends NPO status for a stroke patient, but the hospitalist wants to start oral medications. What collaborative approach resolves this conflict?
- The hospitalist overrides the recommendation as the attending physician
- A multidisciplinary team meeting is held to weigh dysphagia risk against medication necessity (Correct answer)
- The nurse administers medications without consulting either party
- The patient is referred to another facility
Correct answer: A multidisciplinary team meeting is held to weigh dysphagia risk against medication necessity
A structured team discussion balancing aspiration risk with medication needs reflects best-practice interprofessional conflict resolution.
Question 4: Which interprofessional team member is primarily responsible for assessing a stroke patient's home safety and discharge needs?
- Neurologist
- Pharmacist
- Occupational therapist (Correct answer)
- Radiologist
Correct answer: Occupational therapist
Occupational therapists evaluate ADL function, home environment, and adaptive equipment needs to facilitate safe discharge planning.
Question 5: A stroke coordinator wants to improve team communication during rapid response events. Which strategy has the strongest evidence for reducing errors?
- Verbal-only communication between the team leader and nurses
- Closed-loop communication where each team member confirms receipt of instructions (Correct answer)
- Allowing each discipline to operate independently during codes
- Using pagers instead of face-to-face communication
Correct answer: Closed-loop communication where each team member confirms receipt of instructions
Closed-loop communication ensures instructions are heard, understood, and confirmed, significantly reducing errors in high-acuity situations.
Question 6: When developing a stroke patient's care plan, which interprofessional principle ensures all disciplines contribute equally to goal-setting?
- Physician-led unilateral decision-making
- Shared decision-making with patient, family, and all relevant disciplines (Correct answer)
- Nurse-to-physician escalation only
- Rehabilitation-driven planning without physician input
Correct answer: Shared decision-making with patient, family, and all relevant disciplines
Shared decision-making integrates patient preferences with input from all disciplines to create a unified, patient-centered care plan.
Question 7: A physical therapist identifies early signs of deep vein thrombosis in a stroke patient. What is the MOST appropriate interprofessional action?
- Continue therapy and document findings at end of shift
- Immediately notify the nursing staff and attending physician and suspend weight-bearing activity (Correct answer)
- Order a Doppler ultrasound independently
- Administer anticoagulants per standing order without notification
Correct answer: Immediately notify the nursing staff and attending physician and suspend weight-bearing activity
Prompt notification of nursing and the physician allows for rapid diagnostic workup and modification of therapy to prevent pulmonary embolism.
ASC Interprofessional Collaboration 2
During a stroke code activation, the bedside nurse notes the patient's last known well time is unclear.
What is the BEST interprofessional action?