DHA Patient Care & Safety Standards 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient admitted with chest pain is found on the floor after an unwitnessed fall. After ensuring patient safety, what is the nurse's next priority?
- Complete a head-to-toe assessment and document findings (Correct answer)
- Immediately reposition the patient back to bed without assessment
- Call security before notifying the physician
- Update the family before performing any clinical assessment
Correct answer: Complete a head-to-toe assessment and document findings
A thorough assessment for injuries must be completed before moving the patient, and findings must be accurately documented.
Question 2: Which element is essential when labeling a specimen collected at the bedside per DHA standards?
- The collecting nurse's personal contact number
- Patient full name, MRN, date and time of collection, and type of specimen (Correct answer)
- Only the patient room number and specimen type
- The physician's name and ward location only
Correct answer: Patient full name, MRN, date and time of collection, and type of specimen
Complete specimen labeling including patient identifiers, MRN, collection time, and specimen type is mandatory to prevent diagnostic errors.
Question 3: A patient receiving IV antibiotics develops facial flushing, urticaria, and hypotension. What is the priority nursing action?
- Slow the infusion rate and continue monitoring
- Stop the infusion immediately, maintain IV access, and call for emergency support (Correct answer)
- Administer an antihistamine and resume the infusion at a slower rate
- Document the reaction and wait for the next physician round
Correct answer: Stop the infusion immediately, maintain IV access, and call for emergency support
Signs of anaphylaxis require immediate cessation of the offending agent and emergency intervention.
Question 4: When performing hand hygiene using an alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR), how long should the rubbing process last?
- 5–10 seconds
- 20–30 seconds (Correct answer)
- 40–60 seconds
- 2–3 minutes
Correct answer: 20–30 seconds
WHO guidelines and DHA infection control standards specify 20–30 seconds of rubbing until hands are dry when using ABHR.
Question 5: A nurse administering medications to a patient with dysphagia should first:
- Crush all medications and mix them together in applesauce without consultation
- Consult the pharmacist and speech therapist before altering any medication form (Correct answer)
- Ask the patient's family which medications can be crushed
- Dissolve tablets in water and instruct the patient to drink quickly
Correct answer: Consult the pharmacist and speech therapist before altering any medication form
Crushing or altering medications without pharmacist review can affect efficacy or safety, especially for extended-release formulations.
Question 6: In the context of DHA's National Early Warning Score (NEWS) system, a rising total score indicates:
- The patient is stable and can be stepped down to a lower acuity area
- An escalating clinical deterioration requiring prompt reassessment and intervention (Correct answer)
- A need to reduce monitoring frequency to conserve nursing resources
- The patient's pain is the sole driver of the elevated score
Correct answer: An escalating clinical deterioration requiring prompt reassessment and intervention
A rising NEWS score signals physiological deterioration and triggers a defined escalation response to prevent adverse events.
Question 7: Which practice correctly implements the 'time-out' procedure immediately before a surgical incision per DHA standards?
- The surgeon alone verbally confirms the patient name and site
- All team members pause to actively verify patient identity, procedure, site, and any critical concerns (Correct answer)
- The scrub nurse signs the timeout checklist without team verbal confirmation
- Timeout is completed in the pre-op area and need not be repeated in the OR
Correct answer: All team members pause to actively verify patient identity, procedure, site, and any critical concerns
A surgical time-out requires active participation from all team members at the operative site to verify identity, procedure, and site immediately before incision.
DHA Patient Care & Safety Standards 5
A patient admitted with chest pain is found on the floor after an unwitnessed fall.
After ensuring patient safety, what is the nurse's next priority?