Nurse Executive Test Risk Assessment & Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse executive is reviewing sentinel event data. Which action best demonstrates proactive risk management?
- Disciplining the staff involved in the event
- Conducting a root cause analysis to identify system failures (Correct answer)
- Removing the patient from the unit where the event occurred
- Reporting the event only if required by state law
Correct answer: Conducting a root cause analysis to identify system failures
Root cause analysis identifies underlying system failures rather than individual blame, enabling proactive prevention of future sentinel events.
Question 2: Which risk stratification tool is most commonly used in hospital settings to assess a patient's risk for pressure injuries?
- Glasgow Coma Scale
- Morse Fall Scale
- Braden Scale (Correct answer)
- APACHE II Score
Correct answer: Braden Scale
The Braden Scale assesses six risk factors for pressure injury development, including sensory perception, moisture, activity, mobility, nutrition, and friction/shear.
Question 3: During a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), the nurse executive identifies a high-risk process. What is the PRIMARY purpose of conducting an FMEA?
- To assign accountability for past errors
- To proactively identify and mitigate potential process failures before they occur (Correct answer)
- To document incidents for legal purposes
- To satisfy Joint Commission accreditation requirements only
Correct answer: To proactively identify and mitigate potential process failures before they occur
FMEA is a prospective risk assessment tool used to identify potential failure points in a process and implement preventive measures before harm occurs.
Question 4: A nurse executive learns that medication errors have increased on the night shift. Which approach best addresses risk management principles?
- Increase staffing ratios only on day shift
- Conduct an environmental scan of night shift workflows to identify contributing factors (Correct answer)
- Terminate nurses involved in medication errors
- Limit the number of medications dispensed after midnight
Correct answer: Conduct an environmental scan of night shift workflows to identify contributing factors
An environmental scan of night shift workflows applies systems-thinking to identify contributing factors such as fatigue, staffing, lighting, or process gaps.
Question 5: Which federal agency requires hospitals to report specific adverse events and maintains the Patient Safety Organization (PSO) program?
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (Correct answer)
- The Joint Commission (TJC)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Correct answer: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
AHRQ oversees the Patient Safety Organization program established under the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 to encourage voluntary event reporting.
Question 6: A hospital's risk manager presents data showing a cluster of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs). Which risk management strategy should the nurse executive prioritize?
- Implementing a CAUTI prevention bundle with standardized insertion and maintenance protocols (Correct answer)
- Restricting urinary catheter use to intensive care units only
- Increasing antibiotic prophylaxis for all catheterized patients
- Transferring infected patients to long-term care facilities
Correct answer: Implementing a CAUTI prevention bundle with standardized insertion and maintenance protocols
Evidence-based CAUTI prevention bundles that standardize insertion and maintenance protocols have demonstrated significant reduction in infection rates.
Question 7: In the context of enterprise risk management (ERM), which category of risk is MOST directly addressed by nurse credentialing and privileging processes?
- Financial risk
- Reputational risk
- Clinical/operational risk (Correct answer)
- Strategic risk
Correct answer: Clinical/operational risk
Credentialing and privileging verify that clinical staff have the qualifications and competencies to safely perform their duties, directly addressing clinical and operational risk.
Nurse Executive Test Risk Assessment & Management 2
A nurse executive is reviewing sentinel event data.
Which action best demonstrates proactive risk management?