CRNI Infusion Pump Technology and Safety Practice Test Flashcards
7 cards from real CRNI practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 CRNI Infusion Pump Technology and Safety Practice Test flashcards as text
A patient receiving TPN via a multi-channel pump has one channel alarming 'downstream occlusion.' What is the PRIORITY nursing action?
Answer: Assess the IV site and catheter for kinking, clot, or positional obstruction
A downstream occlusion alarm requires immediate assessment of the catheter and IV site to identify and resolve the source of obstruction before resuming infusion.
What is the primary purpose of 'drug library guardrails' in a smart infusion pump?
Answer: To enforce pre-set dose limits that reduce programming errors and ADEs
Drug library guardrails establish hard and soft dose limits that intercept programming errors at the point of care, directly reducing adverse drug events.
When caring for a pediatric patient, a nurse must consider which pump feature most critical to preventing fluid overload?
Answer: Small-volume delivery accuracy with micro-rate capability
Pediatric patients require very small, precise volumes; pumps with micro-rate accuracy (e.g., 0.1 mL/hr) are essential to prevent fluid overload in small bodies.
An infusion pump's DERS (dose error reduction software) is set for heparin. The nurse programs 1,200 units/hr but the limit is 1,000 units/hr. What happens?
Answer: A hard limit alert fires and the pump will not run until the dose is corrected
Exceeding a hard limit triggers an alert that prevents infusion from starting; the nurse must reprogram a value within the allowed range before the pump will run.
Which infusion pump type is BEST suited for delivering highly viscous medications such as lipid emulsions?
Answer: Peristaltic volumetric pump
Peristaltic volumetric pumps generate enough mechanical force to reliably deliver viscous fluids like lipid emulsions through standard IV tubing.
A nurse is using a PCA pump for postoperative pain management. Which parameter DIRECTLY limits the total opioid dose the patient can self-administer over 4 hours?
Answer: 4-hour dose limit
The 4-hour dose limit is a cumulative cap programmed into the PCA pump that prevents the patient from receiving more than the prescribed maximum opioid dose in that time period.
During biomedical equipment inspection, a technician finds the pump's flow accuracy has drifted beyond manufacturer specifications. What is the appropriate action before returning the pump to clinical use?
Answer: Recalibrate the pump per manufacturer protocol and retest before returning to service
Pumps with accuracy drift must be recalibrated and verified to meet specifications before clinical use to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance.