NCNZ Management of Nursing Care — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under NCNZ competencies, what is the nursing process that guides clinical decision-making in NZ?
- Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation (APIE) (Correct answer)
- Diagnose, treat, and discharge
- Observe, report, and document
- Admit, medicate, and monitor
Correct answer: Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation (APIE)
The nursing process used in NZ follows the APIE framework: Assessment (gathering data), Planning (setting goals and interventions), Implementation (carrying out care), and Evaluation (reviewing outcomes and adjusting care).
Question 2: What is the NZ nurse's responsibility regarding medication administration?
- Adhere to the 'five rights': right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time (Correct answer)
- Only doctors are responsible for medication safety
- Nurses only need to check the patient's name, not the medication details
- Medication errors are acceptable as long as no harm occurs
Correct answer: Adhere to the 'five rights': right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, right time
NZ nurses must adhere to the 'five rights' of medication administration: right patient, right drug, right dose, right route, and right time. Additional checks include right documentation and right reason.
Question 3: What is the NZ requirement for nurses regarding informed consent?
- Nurses must ensure patients have received adequate information to make informed decisions about their care and that consent is voluntary (Correct answer)
- Consent is only required for surgical procedures
- Verbal consent is never acceptable — all consent must be written
- Only doctors are responsible for obtaining consent
Correct answer: Nurses must ensure patients have received adequate information to make informed decisions about their care and that consent is voluntary
Under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, NZ nurses must ensure patients receive adequate information, understand it, and give voluntary consent. Nurses also have a role in assessing ongoing consent throughout care.
Question 4: Under NZ nursing competencies, what is the nurse's role in infection prevention and control?
- Apply standard precautions consistently, follow hand hygiene protocols, and manage transmission-based precautions as needed (Correct answer)
- Infection control is solely the responsibility of infection control nurses
- Standard precautions are only needed in surgical wards
- Hand hygiene is recommended but not mandatory in NZ
Correct answer: Apply standard precautions consistently, follow hand hygiene protocols, and manage transmission-based precautions as needed
All NZ nurses must apply standard precautions (hand hygiene, PPE, safe sharps management, environmental cleaning) consistently and implement transmission-based precautions (contact, droplet, airborne) when required by the patient's condition.
Question 5: What is the NZ nurse's obligation regarding patient deterioration and escalation?
- Recognise signs of clinical deterioration early, respond appropriately, and escalate using established systems like the NZ Early Warning Score (Correct answer)
- Wait for the doctor to notice deterioration during their next round
- Only escalate if the patient requests it
- Documentation of deterioration is sufficient — no further action is needed
Correct answer: Recognise signs of clinical deterioration early, respond appropriately, and escalate using established systems like the NZ Early Warning Score
NZ nurses must be able to recognise signs of clinical deterioration early, respond with appropriate nursing interventions, and escalate concerns using established systems such as the New Zealand Early Warning Score (NZEWS) and ISBAR communication.
Question 6: What does the NCNZ require regarding delegation of nursing care in New Zealand?
- The nurse retains accountability for delegated care and must ensure the person is competent to perform the delegated task (Correct answer)
- Once a task is delegated, responsibility transfers entirely to the person performing it
- Delegation is not permitted under NZ nursing law
- Only nurse practitioners can delegate nursing tasks
Correct answer: The nurse retains accountability for delegated care and must ensure the person is competent to perform the delegated task
When a NZ nurse delegates care, they retain professional accountability for the outcome. They must assess that the person to whom they delegate has the competence, knowledge, and skills to perform the task safely.
NCNZ Management of Nursing Care
Under NCNZ competencies, what is the nursing process that guides clinical decision-making in NZ?