Community and Public Health Nursing Flashcards

The nurse is conducting contact tracing for a newly diagnosed patient with active tuberculosis. Which contacts are at highest priority for screening?

Answer: Close contacts who shared air with the patient for cumulative >8 hours

TB contact tracing prioritizes close contacts based on the duration and proximity of exposure. The 'most infectious' contacts are those who shared enclosed air space for cumulative 8 or more hours (household members, close work colleagues). Concentric circle investigation expands outward if needed.

A nurse working in occupational health assesses a factory worker for noise-induced hearing loss. Which level of occupational noise exposure is the threshold for mandatory hearing protection in most standards?

Answer: 85 decibels (dB) for an 8-hour time-weighted average

Occupational health standards (including OSHA and Saudi GAZT) require hearing conservation programs when workers are exposed to an 8-hour time-weighted average noise level of 85 dB or greater. Above this threshold, engineering controls and hearing protection are mandatory.

The nurse is assessing a community for disaster preparedness. Which element is most critical for a community emergency response plan?

Answer: Clear chain of command, communication protocols, and evacuation routes

An effective disaster response plan requires clear incident command structure, communication protocols (including backup systems), identified evacuation routes, shelter locations, and coordination with government agencies. This infrastructure allows coordinated response under chaotic conditions.

A family health nurse is following up a household where a member has been newly diagnosed with active TB. The nurse identifies the household contacts and plans tuberculin skin testing. When should the initial TST be done?

Answer: As soon as possible after identification of exposure

Initial TST (or IGRA) should be done as soon as possible after identifying close contacts. A negative initial test requires a follow-up test 8–10 weeks after last exposure to allow seroconversion (window period). Contacts with symptoms need immediate assessment regardless of test timing.

A nurse is evaluating a health education program on diabetes prevention in a community. Which outcome measure best evaluates effectiveness at the community level?

Answer: Reduction in new diabetes diagnoses (incidence rate) over 3 years

The most meaningful measure of program effectiveness at the community level is a reduction in disease incidence over time. Process measures (attendance, satisfaction) measure program delivery but not health impact. Outcomes should be measurable health changes in the target population.

The nurse is reviewing the chain of infection for a community outbreak of norovirus gastroenteritis. Which link in the chain of infection is targeted by handwashing?

Answer: Mode of transmission

Handwashing interrupts the mode of transmission — it removes the organism from hands before it reaches the next host's portal of entry (mouth, nose). Norovirus spreads via the fecal-oral route and through contaminated surfaces. Hand hygiene is the most effective intervention.