DHA Patient Safety Guidelines 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient develops a pressure ulcer during hospitalization. According to patient safety guidelines, this event should be classified as:
- A sentinel event requiring root cause analysis
- A minor adverse event needing only documentation
- A never event that is always preventable (Correct answer)
- An expected complication of prolonged bed rest
Correct answer: A never event that is always preventable
Pressure ulcers acquired during hospitalization are classified as never events because they are considered always preventable with proper nursing care and protocols.
Question 2: Which of the following best describes the 'two-patient identifier' rule before administering medication?
- Check the patient's room number and bed number
- Verify name and date of birth using the patient's wristband (Correct answer)
- Ask the nurse on duty to confirm the patient's identity
- Check the medication administration record only
Correct answer: Verify name and date of birth using the patient's wristband
Two patient identifiers such as full name and date of birth must be confirmed using the patient's wristband before administering any medication.
Question 3: During a surgical procedure, the surgeon requests a change not included in the pre-operative consent. What is the correct action?
- Proceed if the change is minor and in the patient's best interest
- Obtain verbal consent from the patient's family present outside
- Stop the procedure and obtain written informed consent if the patient is conscious (Correct answer)
- Document the change in the operative notes and proceed
Correct answer: Stop the procedure and obtain written informed consent if the patient is conscious
Unless there is an immediate life-threatening emergency, informed written consent must be obtained before performing any procedure not covered in the original consent.
Question 4: What is the primary goal of a 'near miss' reporting system in healthcare?
- To discipline staff members who made errors
- To identify and address system vulnerabilities before harm occurs (Correct answer)
- To document incidents for legal defense purposes
- To track individual staff performance over time
Correct answer: To identify and address system vulnerabilities before harm occurs
Near miss reporting aims to identify systemic weaknesses and process gaps so corrective actions can prevent future patient harm.
Question 5: A nurse notices a colleague preparing to administer a medication at ten times the prescribed dose. The safest response is to:
- Document the concern and report it after the shift
- Immediately speak up and stop the colleague from administering the dose (Correct answer)
- Consult a senior nurse before intervening
- Allow the dose and monitor the patient closely
Correct answer: Immediately speak up and stop the colleague from administering the dose
Patient safety requires immediate intervention when a colleague is about to make a serious medication error, regardless of hierarchy.
Question 6: Which hand hygiene moment, according to WHO guidelines, is most critical in preventing cross-contamination between patients?
- Before touching a patient (Correct answer)
- After touching patient surroundings
- Before a clean or aseptic procedure
- After body fluid exposure risk
Correct answer: Before touching a patient
Performing hand hygiene before touching a patient is critical to prevent transmission of organisms from healthcare workers or the environment to the patient.
Question 7: A patient is scheduled for a right-knee replacement. Which safety step is most important immediately before the incision?
- Confirming the surgical team's credentials
- Performing a surgical time-out to verify patient, procedure, and site (Correct answer)
- Reviewing the patient's insurance authorization
- Checking the availability of post-operative beds
Correct answer: Performing a surgical time-out to verify patient, procedure, and site
The surgical time-out, performed immediately before incision, ensures the correct patient, correct procedure, and correct site to prevent wrong-site surgery.
DHA Patient Safety Guidelines 4
A patient develops a pressure ulcer during hospitalization.
According to patient safety guidelines, this event should be classified as: