CELBAN Telephone Communication in Healthcare 3

Question 1

A nurse must communicate a critical lab value by phone to a physician. According to best practice, after delivering the value, the nurse should:

Accepted Answer

Document the time of the call, the physician contacted, and the value reported

Answer

Immediate and thorough documentation of critical value communication creates a legal and clinical record that protects both the patient and the nurse.

Question 2

Which word or phrase in a telephone conversation signals that the nurse needs to escalate the call to a charge nurse or on-call physician immediately?

Accepted Answer

'The patient suddenly became unresponsive.'

Answer

A patient becoming unresponsive is a clinical emergency that requires immediate escalation to a senior clinician or emergency team.

Question 3

During a telephone triage call, a patient reports crushing chest pain radiating to the left arm. The nurse should FIRST:

Accepted Answer

Instruct the patient to call 911 immediately and stay on the line with them

Answer

Symptoms of a possible cardiac event require immediate activation of emergency services; staying on the line ensures the patient is not alone.

Question 4

A nurse is documenting a telephone order and is unsure of the spelling of a medication name. The best action is to:

Accepted Answer

Ask the physician to spell the medication name and then repeat it back

Answer

Clarifying spelling of unfamiliar medications during the call prevents transcription errors that could cause patient harm.

Question 5

When a nurse leaves a message with an answering service for an on-call physician, which element is MOST critical to include?

Accepted Answer

A callback number where the nurse can be reached directly

Answer

Providing a direct callback number ensures the physician can reach the nurse quickly without going through multiple transfers in an urgent situation.

(CELBAN) Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Practice Test

(CELBAN) Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Practice Test

CELBAN Telephone Communication in Healthcare 3