ATI RN
Ethics and Issues in Contemporary Nursing PDF Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse is removing a saturated dressing from an abdominal incision and must cut the tape to remove the dressing. The nurse accidentally cuts the sutures holding the incision, and evisceration occurs. In quality improvement, this incident is best identified as a:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: sentinel event. A sentinel event is an unexpected occurrence involving death or serious physical or psychological harm to a patient. In this scenario, the accidental cutting of sutures leading to evisceration constitutes a serious harm to the patient, making it a sentinel event. This event requires immediate investigation, analysis, and implementation of preventive measures to ensure patient safety. A: Root cause refers to the underlying reason for a problem, not the event itself. C: Variation in performance is related to inconsistencies in processes, not a specific critical incident like evisceration. D: Causal factor is a contributing element to an event, but it does not capture the severity and significance of a sentinel event like evisceration.
Question 2 of 5
During the night, a patient fell in the bathroom and sustained a hip injury. The patient was very upset because of being unable to attend a granddaughter's wedding in 2 days. The team looked at the process and determined that the patient had been medicated with a narcotic, had urinary urgency so had not taken the time to put on shoes, failed to turn on the light because the door to the hall let in some light, and stumbled over a towel that had been placed to collect water leaks caused by construction that was in progress to replace damaged sinks. Which factor was a special cause variation?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Improper construction that caused the leak and towel placement. This is a special cause variation because it is an external factor outside the patient's control that directly contributed to the incident. The construction causing water leaks and the placement of a towel to collect water created a hazardous environment leading to the fall. The other choices, A, B, and C, are common cause variations as they are related to the patient's behavior or medical condition which could have been managed or controlled within the usual process.
Question 3 of 5
Nurses, physicians, and social workers finalize the plan of care and coordinate discharge for a homeless person who will need wound care and follow up over the next 4 weeks. Each member contributes based on his or her area of expertise but also recognize other members' strengths. Which of the QSEN competencies are being demonstrated?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Teamwork and collaboration. This is demonstrated as the nurses, physicians, and social workers work together to finalize the care plan and coordinate discharge for the homeless person. Each member contributes based on their expertise, recognizing and utilizing the strengths of other team members. This showcases effective communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making, which are key aspects of teamwork and collaboration. Summary of other choices: A: Quality improvement - Not directly related to the collaborative effort described in the scenario. B: Evidence-based practice - While important, this choice does not specifically address the interprofessional collaboration demonstrated in the scenario. D: Patient-centered care - While important in overall patient care, this choice does not specifically address the teamwork and collaboration among the healthcare professionals in this scenario.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse educator is explaining to licensed staff that health care is no longer safe and describes The Quality and Safety for Nursing (QSEN) recommended competencies for educating nursing professionals. These include: (select all that apply)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: patient-centered care. Patient-centered care is a core competency recommended by QSEN as it emphasizes the importance of considering the patient's preferences, values, and needs in all aspects of healthcare delivery. This approach leads to improved patient outcomes, increased satisfaction, and overall better quality of care. Explanation for why the other choices are incorrect: A: Advanced health assessment techniques are important skills for nurses, but they are not specifically listed as recommended competencies by QSEN. C: Prescriptive pharmacology content focuses on medication administration and management, which is important but not a core competency recommended by QSEN. D: Quality improvement is a crucial aspect of healthcare, but it is not the only competency highlighted by QSEN for educating nursing professionals.
Question 5 of 5
Political action committees (PACs) are established for the purpose of:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: financially supporting candidates. PACs are established to raise and spend money to support candidates for political office. They can donate funds to candidates' campaigns, run independent expenditure campaigns, and engage in other activities to influence elections. This is the primary purpose of PACs. Other choices are incorrect: B: While PACs may aim to persuade policymakers to support certain policies, their main function is to support candidates financially. C: While lobbying legislators is a common activity PACs engage in, their main purpose is to financially support candidates. D: Recommending health care policy is not the primary purpose of PACs, as their main role is to support political candidates.