Community and Public Health Nursing Flashcards

The nurse is calculating the infant mortality rate (IMR). Which formula is correct?

Answer: (Deaths of infants <1 year / Live births) × 1,000

The infant mortality rate is the number of deaths of infants under 1 year per 1,000 live births in a given year. It is a key indicator of a country's health system quality, maternal health, and socioeconomic conditions.

A nurse is conducting a health assessment of a community. Which data source provides population-level mortality data?

Answer: Vital statistics records (death certificates)

Vital statistics (birth and death certificates) are the primary source of population-level mortality data, including cause of death, age, sex, and geography. They form the basis for calculating mortality rates and trends.

Which type of immunity is conferred by childhood immunization programs?

Answer: Active acquired immunity

Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies against specific antigens, creating active acquired immunity. This is 'acquired' because it is gained through exposure and 'active' because the immune system actively responds. Passive immunity involves receiving pre-formed antibodies.

The nurse is implementing a health promotion program based on the Health Belief Model. Which component of this model most strongly predicts whether an individual will take preventive action?

Answer: Perceived barriers to taking action

Research on the Health Belief Model shows perceived barriers are the strongest predictor of non-action — if the person perceives too many obstacles (cost, inconvenience, fear), they are unlikely to act regardless of how susceptible or severe they believe the disease to be.

A school nurse notes an outbreak of head lice (pediculosis capitis) in an elementary school. Which public health measure is most evidence-based?

Answer: Treat affected children with pediculicide; no-nit policies are not recommended

Current evidence-based guidelines (CDC, AAP) recommend treating affected children with pediculicide shampoo and do NOT support 'no-nit' policies (sending children home for nit presence), as nits alone do not indicate active infestation and cause unnecessary school absence.

A public health nurse is working on a food safety inspection following a Salmonella outbreak linked to a restaurant. Which food handling practice most likely caused the outbreak?

Answer: Cross-contamination between raw poultry and ready-to-eat foods

Cross-contamination between raw poultry (a major Salmonella reservoir) and ready-to-eat foods (salads, bread, cooked foods) is the most common cause of Salmonella outbreaks. This occurs through shared cutting boards, utensils, or poor hand hygiene.