DHA Patient Care & Safety Standards 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient scheduled for surgery refuses to sign the consent form moments before the procedure. What is the correct action?
- Proceed with surgery if the physician believes it is necessary
- Postpone the procedure and notify the surgeon and charge nurse immediately (Correct answer)
- Have a family member sign on the patient's behalf
- Sedate the patient and proceed to avoid delay
Correct answer: Postpone the procedure and notify the surgeon and charge nurse immediately
A competent patient's refusal of consent must be respected; the procedure must be postponed and the care team notified immediately.
Question 2: Which DHA-aligned practice best prevents catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs)?
- Change the catheter every 24 hours regardless of indication
- Use aseptic technique during insertion and remove the catheter as soon as clinically possible (Correct answer)
- Irrigate the catheter daily with saline to prevent blockage
- Keep the drainage bag above bladder level to reduce backflow
Correct answer: Use aseptic technique during insertion and remove the catheter as soon as clinically possible
Aseptic insertion technique combined with prompt removal when no longer needed are the primary CAUTI prevention strategies.
Question 3: A nurse discovers a medication error that reached the patient but caused no harm. What should the nurse do first?
- Monitor the patient quietly and document only if symptoms appear
- Inform the charge nurse, assess the patient, and file an incident report (Correct answer)
- Notify only the physician and omit the incident report to avoid paperwork
- Discard the remaining medication and update the MAR without further action
Correct answer: Inform the charge nurse, assess the patient, and file an incident report
Even near-miss or no-harm medication errors must be reported through the incident reporting system so root causes can be addressed.
Question 4: When using the SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) tool during a patient handover, which element includes the nurse's clinical judgment?
- Situation
- Background
- Assessment (Correct answer)
- Recommendation
Correct answer: Assessment
The Assessment component is where the nurse provides their clinical interpretation of the patient's current condition.
Question 5: A patient's call light has been on for 20 minutes and the assigned nurse is occupied in an emergency. What is the best response from another staff member?
- Leave a note on the patient's door explaining the delay
- Respond to the call light, assess the patient's needs, and report back to the team (Correct answer)
- Wait until the assigned nurse is free
- Ask a visitor in the hallway to check on the patient
Correct answer: Respond to the call light, assess the patient's needs, and report back to the team
Prompt response to call lights is a patient safety and satisfaction standard; any available staff member should attend and report findings.
Question 6: Under DHA patient rights standards, which action best supports a patient's right to dignity?
- Discussing the patient's diagnosis loudly at the nursing station for efficiency
- Drawing the curtain and using the patient's preferred name during all personal care (Correct answer)
- Allowing only the primary nurse to communicate with the patient
- Documenting personal information in the hallway whiteboard for easy team access
Correct answer: Drawing the curtain and using the patient's preferred name during all personal care
Maintaining privacy during care and addressing patients by their preferred name directly upholds the right to dignity.
Question 7: Which restraint practice is consistent with DHA safety standards?
- Apply physical restraints whenever a patient is confused to prevent falls
- Use the least restrictive intervention first and reassess restraint need every two hours (Correct answer)
- Tie restraints to the bed side rail for quick release in emergencies
- Obtain verbal consent from the patient's family as the sole authorization
Correct answer: Use the least restrictive intervention first and reassess restraint need every two hours
DHA standards require exploring least-restrictive alternatives first and performing frequent reassessment when restraints are in use.
DHA Patient Care & Safety Standards 4
A patient scheduled for surgery refuses to sign the consent form moments before the procedure.
What is the correct action?