Patient Safety and Risk Assessment 1 Flashcards
6 cards from real NMC CBT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Patient Safety and Risk Assessment 1 flashcards as text
A nurse discovers a patient's identification wristband is missing. What is the most appropriate immediate action?
Answer: Apply a new wristband before performing any further clinical procedures
Patient identification is a fundamental safety check. A new wristband must be applied before any further procedures to prevent wrong-patient errors, which are a recognised 'Never Event' in NHS settings.
Which framework is used in UK healthcare to categorise the severity of patient safety incidents?
Answer: The NHS Serious Incident Framework grading scale
NHS England's Serious Incident Framework provides a grading structure to classify incidents by actual or potential harm, guiding the level of investigation and reporting required.
When using the SBAR tool during a clinical handover, what does the letter 'R' represent?
Answer: Recommendation
In the SBAR communication tool, 'R' stands for Recommendation — the nurse states what action they believe is needed. This structured format reduces miscommunication and supports patient safety during handovers.
A patient's NEWS2 (National Early Warning Score 2) has increased from 2 to 7 over four hours. What is the most appropriate nursing response?
Answer: Inform the nurse in charge and escalate to a senior clinician urgently
A NEWS2 score of 7 or above indicates a high clinical risk and requires urgent escalation to a senior clinician or rapid response team. Delay in escalation is a common factor in preventable deterioration.
Under the duty of candour (Regulation 20), what must a healthcare provider do when a notifiable safety incident occurs?
Answer: Notify, apologise to, and provide a written account to the affected patient or their family
The statutory duty of candour requires organisations to be open and transparent with patients when things go wrong. This includes a verbal apology, a written notification, and an explanation of what happened and what will be done to prevent recurrence.
Which of the following is an example of a 'Never Event' as defined by NHS England?
Answer: Wrong-site surgery performed on an incorrect limb
Never Events are serious, wholly preventable patient safety incidents. Wrong-site surgery is a defined Never Event because robust safety checks (such as the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist) should prevent it entirely.