BSN Community and Public Health Nursing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A public health nurse is assessing a community's health needs. Which data source provides the most comprehensive information about the leading causes of death in a specific zip code?
- Vital statistics from the state health department (Correct answer)
- Data from a local hospital's emergency department
- Survey responses from community focus groups
- The community's school health records
Correct answer: Vital statistics from the state health department
Vital statistics (birth, death, and disease records) maintained by the state health department provide the most systematic and comprehensive mortality data by geographic area.
Question 2: A nurse working in occupational health is conducting a workplace assessment. Which chemical hazard control method offers the highest level of protection for workers?
- Elimination of the hazardous substance (Correct answer)
- Substitution with a less hazardous substance
- Administrative controls such as job rotation
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Correct answer: Elimination of the hazardous substance
The hierarchy of controls places elimination at the top because removing the hazard completely is more reliable than any other protective measure.
Question 3: A disaster response nurse arrives at the scene of a mass casualty incident and begins triage using the START (Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment) system. A victim has a respiratory rate of 26 breaths/min, capillary refill of 3 seconds, and can follow commands. How would this patient be tagged?
- Red (immediate) (Correct answer)
- Yellow (delayed)
- Green (minor)
- Black (expectant/deceased)
Correct answer: Red (immediate)
In START triage, a respiratory rate > 30 or capillary refill > 2 seconds with altered perfusion places the patient in the Red (immediate) category.
Question 4: A community health nurse is using Maslow's hierarchy of needs to prioritize care for a homeless shelter resident. Which need must be addressed first?
- Food, shelter, and warmth (physiological needs) (Correct answer)
- Safety from domestic violence
- Belonging and social connections
- Self-esteem and recognition
Correct answer: Food, shelter, and warmth (physiological needs)
Maslow's hierarchy places physiological needs (food, water, shelter, warmth) at the base; these must be met before higher-level needs can be addressed.
Question 5: A public health nurse is developing a program to reduce teenage smoking rates in a high school. Which intervention is most effective based on evidence-based practice?
- Peer-led education programs combined with school-wide policy changes (Correct answer)
- A one-time assembly featuring a guest speaker about smoking dangers
- Distributing pamphlets on the health effects of tobacco to all students
- Requiring all students to write a report on tobacco-related diseases
Correct answer: Peer-led education programs combined with school-wide policy changes
Sustained peer-led programs combined with environmental policy changes (e.g., smoke-free campuses) have the strongest evidence for reducing adolescent smoking.
Question 6: A community health nurse is working with a population with a high rate of uncontrolled hypertension. Which social determinant of health most directly contributes to this disparity?
- Limited access to healthy foods and low income (food insecurity) (Correct answer)
- Lack of interest in personal health
- Individual non-compliance with prescribed medications
- Genetics and family history
Correct answer: Limited access to healthy foods and low income (food insecurity)
Social determinants such as food insecurity, low income, and lack of access to healthcare create structural barriers to hypertension control that individual behavior cannot overcome alone.
BSN Community and Public Health Nursing 2
A public health nurse is assessing a community's health needs.
Which data source provides the most comprehensive information about the leading causes of death in a specific zip code?