RPN Safety and Mobility Needs 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient is prescribed a walker for ambulation. Which instruction is most important when teaching the patient to use a standard walker?
- Place both hands on the walker and advance it 12–18 inches ahead before stepping (Correct answer)
- Move the walker forward only as far as one foot length at a time
- Advance the weaker leg first, then move the walker forward
- Keep all four walker legs on the floor at all times while stepping
Correct answer: Place both hands on the walker and advance it 12–18 inches ahead before stepping
The walker should be advanced 12–18 inches ahead so the patient steps into it, maintaining center of gravity within the base of support.
Question 2: When assisting a patient to transfer from bed to wheelchair, the nurse should position the wheelchair at what angle to the bed?
- 90 degrees
- 180 degrees
- 45 degrees (Correct answer)
- Parallel to the bed
Correct answer: 45 degrees
Positioning the wheelchair at a 45-degree angle to the bed minimizes the pivot distance and reduces fall risk during the transfer.
Question 3: A patient on bed rest develops redness over the sacrum that blanches with pressure. The nurse documents this as which stage of pressure injury?
- Stage 2
- Stage 1 (Correct answer)
- Unstageable
- Deep tissue pressure injury
Correct answer: Stage 1
Stage 1 pressure injuries present as intact skin with non-blanchable redness; blanchable erythema indicates the area is still at risk but not yet a true pressure injury.
Question 4: Which action by the nurse best reduces shear forces on a bedridden patient?
- Elevating the head of the bed no higher than 30 degrees (Correct answer)
- Turning the patient every 4 hours
- Applying a thin film dressing to bony prominences
- Keeping the bed linen tightly tucked under the mattress
Correct answer: Elevating the head of the bed no higher than 30 degrees
Limiting head-of-bed elevation to 30 degrees or less prevents the patient from sliding down and creating shear forces against the sacrum.
Question 5: The nurse is caring for a patient with left-sided hemiplegia. When helping the patient walk with a cane, where should the cane be held?
- In the left (weaker) hand
- In the right (stronger) hand (Correct answer)
- Alternating hands each step
- In whichever hand the patient prefers
Correct answer: In the right (stronger) hand
The cane is held on the stronger side to provide a wider base of support and offload weight from the weaker extremity.
Question 6: A nurse applies wrist restraints to a confused patient. How often must the nurse re-evaluate and document the patient's response to the restraint?
- Every 4 hours
- Every 2 hours (Correct answer)
- Every 30 minutes
- Once per shift
Correct answer: Every 2 hours
Joint Commission and most facility policies require reassessment of restrained patients at least every 2 hours, including circulation checks and range-of-motion.
Question 7: Which environmental modification is the highest priority to prevent falls in an older adult's hospital room?
- Keeping the television remote within reach
- Placing the call bell within easy reach at all times (Correct answer)
- Providing a night light in the bathroom
- Installing grip bars on the walls
Correct answer: Placing the call bell within easy reach at all times
Ensuring the call bell is always within reach is the single highest-priority intervention because it allows the patient to summon help instead of attempting unsafe independent ambulation.
RPN Safety and Mobility Needs 2
A patient is prescribed a walker for ambulation.
Which instruction is most important when teaching the patient to use a standard walker?