Patient Safety & Quality Improvement Flashcards
6 cards from real CNL practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Patient Safety & Quality Improvement flashcards as text
Which framework is most commonly used by CNLs to guide quality improvement initiatives in clinical settings?
Answer: PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) cycle
The PDSA cycle is the standard QI framework CNLs use to test and implement practice changes iteratively.
A CNL notices a rising rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). What is the FIRST step in addressing this?
Answer: Collect and analyze data to understand the scope
Data collection and analysis must precede any intervention to identify root causes and guide targeted action.
Which metric is MOST useful for evaluating the effectiveness of a fall prevention program on a medical-surgical unit?
Answer: Fall rate per 1,000 patient days
Fall rate per 1,000 patient days is the standardized outcome metric used to track program effectiveness over time.
A CNL uses a fishbone diagram during a root cause analysis. What is the PRIMARY purpose of this tool?
Answer: To identify contributing causes of a problem systematically
A fishbone (Ishikawa) diagram helps teams visually categorize and identify all potential causes of a specific problem.
Which organization publishes the National Patient Safety Goals that CNLs must be familiar with?
Answer: The Joint Commission (TJC)
The Joint Commission publishes and updates National Patient Safety Goals annually to guide accredited healthcare organizations.
A CNL wants to reduce medication errors on the unit. Which strategy has the STRONGEST evidence base?
Answer: Implementing a bar-code medication administration (BCMA) system
BCMA systems have the strongest evidence for reducing medication administration errors by verifying the five rights electronically.
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