CPHQ Patient Safety Principles 2

Question 1

Which safety culture concept describes the degree to which staff feel safe reporting errors without fear of punishment?

Accepted Answer

Non-punitive reporting environment

Answer

A non-punitive reporting environment specifically refers to staff confidence that reporting errors will not result in retaliation or punishment.

Question 2

A nurse administers the wrong dose because a pharmacist misread a handwritten order. Which error type best describes the pharmacist's action?

Accepted Answer

Mistake

Answer

A mistake is a knowledge- or rule-based error where the intended action is wrong, as in misinterpreting an order.

Question 3

The 'iceberg model' of safety events suggests that for every serious patient harm event there are many more:

Accepted Answer

Near misses and unsafe conditions

Answer

The iceberg model illustrates that serious harms are the visible tip, while near misses and unsafe conditions are the much larger hidden base.

Question 4

Which human factors principle reduces reliance on memory to prevent medication errors?

Accepted Answer

Cognitive aids and checklists

Answer

Cognitive aids and checklists reduce memory dependency by providing step-by-step prompts during complex or high-risk tasks.

Question 5

During a sentinel event analysis, the team identifies that the call-back policy for critical lab values was unclear. This is best categorized as a:

Accepted Answer

Latent failure

Answer

Latent failures are systemic, organizational weaknesses—such as unclear policies—that remain dormant until combined with other factors to cause harm.

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