CNO CNO - College of Nurses of Ontario Patient Safety and Risk Management 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to CNO standards, which approach best supports a culture of safety in a nursing practice environment?
- Blaming individual nurses for errors to deter future mistakes
- Reporting near-misses and adverse events to identify systemic issues (Correct answer)
- Only reporting errors that cause serious client harm
- Keeping errors confidential to protect staff morale
Correct answer: Reporting near-misses and adverse events to identify systemic issues
A safety culture encourages reporting of near-misses and adverse events so that systemic vulnerabilities can be identified and corrected.
Question 2: A client is identified as a high fall-risk. Which intervention is most appropriate as a first-line safety measure?
- Apply physical restraints immediately
- Implement a fall prevention care plan including bed alarms, non-slip footwear, and frequent rounding (Correct answer)
- Keep the client in bed at all times
- Increase sedation to reduce mobility
Correct answer: Implement a fall prevention care plan including bed alarms, non-slip footwear, and frequent rounding
Evidence-based fall prevention combines environmental modifications, assistive devices, client education, and regular monitoring.
Question 3: The '5 Rights of Medication Administration' include the right client, right drug, right dose, right route, and:
- Right nurse
- Right time (Correct answer)
- Right hospital
- Right diagnosis
Correct answer: Right time
The 5 Rights are client, drug, dose, route, and time — foundational checks to prevent medication errors.
Question 4: A nurse discovers that a medication error occurred on the previous shift. What is the nurse's responsibility according to CNO standards?
- Do nothing, as it was not their error
- Report the error to the appropriate authority, document it, and ensure the client is assessed (Correct answer)
- Correct the chart to remove evidence of the error
- Notify only the family and not the healthcare team
Correct answer: Report the error to the appropriate authority, document it, and ensure the client is assessed
CNO standards require nurses to report errors, ensure client safety through assessment, and document events transparently.
Question 5: What is the purpose of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) in a clinical nursing environment?
- To record client vital signs
- To provide information about hazardous materials including handling, storage, and emergency procedures (Correct answer)
- To document nursing diagnoses
- To schedule client procedures
Correct answer: To provide information about hazardous materials including handling, storage, and emergency procedures
Safety Data Sheets provide critical information on handling, exposure risks, and emergency response for hazardous substances used in clinical settings.
Question 6: When using the SBAR communication tool during client handover, what does the 'R' stand for?
- Risk
- Recommendation (Correct answer)
- Reassessment
- Referral
Correct answer: Recommendation
In SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), 'R' stands for Recommendation — what action the nurse is requesting.
CNO CNO - College of Nurses of Ontario Patient Safety and Risk Management 1
According to CNO standards, which approach best supports a culture of safety in a nursing practice environment?