NMBI Patient Assessment — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the acronym 'NEWS2' stand for in clinical practice?
- National Early Warning Score 2 (Correct answer)
- New European Wellness Survey 2
- National Emergency Warning System 2
- Nursing Early Warning Signal 2
Correct answer: National Early Warning Score 2
NEWS2 (National Early Warning Score 2) is a standardised scoring tool used in Irish and UK hospitals to assess acute illness severity and trigger escalation based on six physiological parameters.
Question 2: Which of the following is NOT one of the six physiological parameters in NEWS2?
- Blood glucose (Correct answer)
- Respiratory rate
- Oxygen saturation
- Systolic blood pressure
Correct answer: Blood glucose
The six NEWS2 parameters are: respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, level of consciousness (ACVPU), and temperature. Blood glucose is not a NEWS2 parameter.
Question 3: When assessing a patient's pain, which validated tool is commonly used for adults?
- Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) 0–10 (Correct answer)
- Glasgow Coma Scale
- APGAR score
- MUST score
Correct answer: Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) 0–10
The Numerical Rating Scale (0–10) is a simple, validated self-report tool where 0=no pain and 10=worst imaginable pain. It is widely used for adult pain assessment.
Question 4: A patient's SpO2 reading is 88% on room air. What does this indicate?
- Significant hypoxaemia requiring urgent assessment and likely oxygen therapy (Correct answer)
- Normal oxygen saturation for an adult
- Mild reduction that does not require any action
- Only concerning if the patient feels breathless
Correct answer: Significant hypoxaemia requiring urgent assessment and likely oxygen therapy
Normal SpO2 for most adults is 94–98%. A reading of 88% indicates significant hypoxaemia and requires immediate assessment, escalation using NEWS2/SBAR, and likely supplemental oxygen.
Question 5: What does the 'A' in the AVPU assessment stand for?
- Alert (Correct answer)
- Awake
- Aware
- Active
Correct answer: Alert
AVPU assesses level of consciousness: Alert, responding to Voice, responding to Pain, Unresponsive. It is a quick bedside neurological assessment tool.
Question 6: When performing a head-to-toe assessment, what is assessed first?
- Airway and breathing (Correct answer)
- Blood pressure
- Level of consciousness
- Skin integrity
Correct answer: Airway and breathing
Following the ABCDE approach (Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure), Airway and Breathing are always assessed first as they are the most immediately life-threatening if compromised.
NMBI Patient Assessment
What does the acronym 'NEWS2' stand for in clinical practice?