ATI RN
Introduction to Epidemiology Ray M Merrill Case Study Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
Several small communities have applied for grant funding from the state department of health
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Step 1: Identify the issue - The issue is determining the priority for grant funding among the communities based on teenage pregnancy rates. Step 2: Consider impact - Community size affects the scale of the issue. Step 3: Evaluate severity - Although communities B and C have higher total numbers of teenage pregnancies, community A has the highest rate per capita. Step 4: Conclusion - The nurse should suggest funding for Community A first due to the highest rate of teenage pregnancies per capita, indicating a more urgent need for intervention. Summary: Choice A is correct as it prioritizes the community with the highest rate of teenage pregnancies per capita. Choices B, and C have higher total numbers of teenage pregnancies, but A is more urgent due to its smaller population. Choice D has the highest total number of teenage pregnancies, but the rate per capita in Community A is the highest, making it the most critical.
Question 2 of 5
A man is diagnosed with prostate cancer. Which of the following data should the nurse know to answer the man when he asks, “What are the chances I’ll survive this thing?â€
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Case fatality rate. This is the proportion of people diagnosed with a specific disease who die from that disease within a specified period. For a man diagnosed with prostate cancer, the case fatality rate would give him an estimate of the likelihood of dying from the cancer. A: Attack rate is the proportion of people who develop a specific disease among those exposed to the disease. It does not provide information on survival chances. C: Cause-specific morbidity rate is the proportion of people with a specific disease in a population. It does not directly indicate survival chances. D: Crude mortality rate is the total number of deaths from all causes in a population. It does not focus on a specific disease's survival chances.
Question 3 of 5
A school nurse wants to decrease the incidence of obesity in elementary school children. Which of the following describes a secondary prevention intervention that the nurse could implement?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because weighing students to identify those who are overweight is a secondary prevention intervention. This intervention aims to identify and intervene with individuals who already have risk factors for obesity. By identifying overweight students, the nurse can provide targeted interventions and support to prevent further progression to obesity. Choice A is incorrect as it focuses on primary prevention by promoting healthy behaviors to prevent obesity in the first place. Choice B is also incorrect as it involves health promotion rather than targeting those already at risk. Choice D is incorrect as putting students on a diet without proper assessment and monitoring can be harmful and does not focus on prevention or early intervention.
Question 4 of 5
The administration at a local medical center examines the trends in health problems when developing long-range plans for staffing and space allocation. Which of the following sources of information would be most helpful?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: The National Hospital Discharge Survey. This source provides comprehensive data on hospital discharges, including diagnoses and procedures. It offers a broad overview of health problems and treatment trends on a national level, which can be valuable for long-range planning at a local medical center. A: Local data from a professional survey in the city may not capture a comprehensive picture of health trends compared to a national survey like the National Hospital Discharge Survey. B: The National Health Interview Survey focuses more on health behaviors and access to healthcare, rather than specific health problems and treatment trends, which may not be as directly relevant for staffing and space allocation planning. D: State vital statistics provide information on births, deaths, and other vital events but may not offer detailed data on specific health problems and treatment trends, as needed for staffing and space allocation planning.
Question 5 of 5
A principal comments to the school nurse that it seems there are a lot more problems with asthma among the students than there were before the school was remodeled a couple of years ago. The nurse investigates the principal’s observation by reviewing all the school records to determine visits to the health office because of asthma by week and month for the past 5 years. Which of the following best describes the type of study the nurse is conducting?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: Ecological study. The nurse is analyzing data at a group level (school) rather than individual level. This type of study evaluates associations between exposure (school remodeling) and outcome (asthma rates) in a population. It does not involve following individuals over time like a cohort study (C). Descriptive epidemiological studies (A) focus on describing the distribution of health outcomes in a population, but do not investigate associations. Choice D does not make sense in this context.