CELBAN Telephone Communication in Healthcare

Question 1

A nurse receives a phone call from a physician requesting a patient update. Which opening response is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

This is Nurse Patel on 4 West. How can I help you?

Answer

Identifying yourself with your name and unit establishes professionalism and helps the caller confirm they have reached the right person.

Question 2

When leaving a voicemail for a physician about a deteriorating patient, a nurse should FIRST state:

Accepted Answer

The patient's full name, room number, and the reason for the call

Answer

Stating the patient's name, location, and reason for calling immediately gives the physician the key information needed to prioritize the callback.

Question 3

A nurse uses the SBAR framework during a phone call. What does the 'A' stand for?

Accepted Answer

Assessment

Answer

In SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), 'A' stands for Assessment — the nurse's clinical interpretation of the patient's condition.

Question 4

A caller asks for confidential patient information over the phone but cannot verify their identity. The nurse should:

Accepted Answer

Politely decline and ask them to call back through the hospital's verified line

Answer

Patient confidentiality requires verifying the caller's identity before disclosing any information, regardless of how professional they sound.

Question 5

During a telephone handover, a nurse says 'I'll read that back to verify.' This technique is called:

Accepted Answer

Readback or repeat-back

Answer

Readback (or repeat-back) is the standard safety technique for confirming verbal orders or critical information received by telephone.

(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