CPNRE Collaborative Practice and Teamwork 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A PN notices that a physician's order appears to be incorrect. What is the most appropriate first action?
- Administer the medication as ordered and document concerns later
- Clarify the order directly with the prescribing physician before proceeding (Correct answer)
- Ask another nurse to administer the medication instead
- Contact the pharmacy to fill the order without checking with the physician
Correct answer: Clarify the order directly with the prescribing physician before proceeding
PNs have a professional obligation to clarify ambiguous or potentially incorrect orders with the prescriber before administering any medication.
Question 2: During a team huddle, a PSW raises a concern about a resident's changing behaviour. How should the PN respond?
- Acknowledge the concern and thank the PSW for raising it, then assess the resident (Correct answer)
- Remind the PSW that behaviour changes are outside their scope to report
- Document the concern without conducting an assessment
- Defer the concern to the physician without performing any evaluation
Correct answer: Acknowledge the concern and thank the PSW for raising it, then assess the resident
PNs should value input from all team members, as PSWs often notice subtle changes first, and the PN is responsible for follow-up assessment.
Question 3: A PN is working alongside an RN in a long-term care facility. Which statement best describes their collaborative relationship?
- The PN functions independently and does not need to communicate with the RN
- The RN and PN share responsibility for client care within their respective scopes of practice (Correct answer)
- The PN must obtain RN approval before performing any nursing task
- The RN delegates all medication administration to the PN
Correct answer: The RN and PN share responsibility for client care within their respective scopes of practice
PNs and RNs collaborate within their respective scopes of practice, sharing accountability for client-centred care outcomes.
Question 4: A family member of a client requests information about the client's prognosis. The client has not consented to share this information. What should the PN do?
- Share the information to support the family's coping
- Explain that client confidentiality prevents sharing information without consent (Correct answer)
- Direct the family to ask the physician without explaining why
- Avoid the conversation entirely
Correct answer: Explain that client confidentiality prevents sharing information without consent
Client confidentiality is a fundamental ethical and legal obligation; information cannot be disclosed to family without the client's consent.
Question 5: When preparing a client for discharge, the PN identifies that the client needs home care services. What is the most appropriate collaborative action?
- Wait for the physician to initiate the referral
- Independently arrange home care without consulting the team
- Inform the interdisciplinary team and initiate a referral according to facility policy (Correct answer)
- Discharge the client and instruct family to arrange services themselves
Correct answer: Inform the interdisciplinary team and initiate a referral according to facility policy
Effective discharge planning requires the PN to communicate client needs to the team and initiate referrals through appropriate channels.
Question 6: A PN disagrees with a team decision about a client's care plan. What is the most professional approach?
- Implement care according to personal judgment without telling the team
- Express concerns respectfully during the team meeting and document the discussion (Correct answer)
- Comply silently and avoid raising the issue
- Report the disagreement to the client to gain support
Correct answer: Express concerns respectfully during the team meeting and document the discussion
PNs are accountable to voice professional concerns respectfully within the team to advocate for client safety and quality care.
Question 7: A PN is part of a quality improvement committee reviewing fall prevention. What role does the PN play in this committee?
- Observe only, since quality improvement is the manager's responsibility
- Contribute frontline observations and nursing expertise to inform evidence-based changes (Correct answer)
- Implement whatever changes are decided without providing input
- Focus only on medication-related quality indicators
Correct answer: Contribute frontline observations and nursing expertise to inform evidence-based changes
PNs bring valuable frontline clinical knowledge to quality improvement initiatives and are expected to actively contribute.
CPNRE Collaborative Practice and Teamwork 4
A PN notices that a physician's order appears to be incorrect.
What is the most appropriate first action?