A registered nurse (RN) is caring for a patient who has refused chemotherapy. As the health-care
team discusses the reasons why the patient should receive chemotherapy, the RN forcefully
restates the patient's wishes. Which type of communication does this scenario best demonstrate?
A. Assertive communication
B. Aggressive communication
C. Interpersonal communication
D. Transactional communication correct answers ANS: A
Page: 100
A. This is correct. Assertive communication involves standing up for oneself and one's patients
and their rights without violating the rights of others.
B. This is incorrect. Aggressive communication involves forcing one's wishes or ideas on others.
C. This is incorrect. Interpersonal communication provides an opportunity to reflect, construct
personal knowledge, and develop collective knowledge.
D. This is incorrect. Transactional models of communication consider all individuals to be in the
process of sending, receiving, and interpreting messages at the same time.
A nurse checks her work e-mail for policy updates and spends about 5 minutes deleting spam
messages. Spam messages are described in transactional models as which of the following?
A. Senders of communication
B. Noise
C. Time wasters
D. Receivers of communication correct answers ANS: B
Page: 101
A. This is incorrect. Linear models of communication label individuals who communicate as
"senders."
,B. This is correct. Noise is anything that interrupts communication, which includes spam and
instant messaging in the electronic environment.
C. This is incorrect. The concept of time in transactional models of communication
acknowledges how communication changes through time.
D. This is incorrect. Linear models of communication label individuals who receive
communication as "receivers."
An RN is conducting discharge teaching for a patient when he realizes the patient does not have
the skills needed to access and use health information. Which of the following most likely
describes the barrier this patient is facing to effective communication in health care?
A. Cultural diversity
B. Cultural competency of health-care providers
C. Low health literacy
D. Communication skills of health-care providers correct answers ANS: C
Page: 101
A. This is incorrect. Cultural diversity as a barrier impedes the ability to access, understand, and
utilize health-care services and information.
B. This is incorrect. Lack of cultural competency of health-care providers results in a failure to
identify and consider cultural practices.
C. This is correct. Low health literacy results in a lack of skills needed to access and use health
information.
D. This is incorrect. Communication skills become a barrier when health-care providers lack the
skills needed for effective interpersonal communication.
During shift change, the day shift nurse reports to the night shift nurse that the patient has no
known drug allergies and the last potassium came back low. Which of the following best
describes the part of the I PASS the BATON tool used in this scenario?
A. Patient
B. Situation
C. Actions
,D. Safety concerns correct answers ANS: D
Page: 110
A. This is incorrect. Patient communication includes patient name, identifiers, age, gender, and
location.
B. This is incorrect. Situation communication includes current status, code status, level of
concern, recent changes, and response to treatment.
C. This is incorrect. Action communication includes discussing what has been done and why.
D. This is correct. Safety communication includes critical laboratory values, allergies,
socioeconomic factors, and risk assessment.
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) was mandated by the year 2013. Which of the
following is the main purpose of computerized record keeping in health care?
A. Ease of finding and correcting errors
B. Reduction of paper and conservation of resources
C. Safe, quality patient care
D. Ease of searching records correct answers ANS: C
Page: 103
A. This is incorrect. Although EHRs increase the ease of finding and correcting errors, this is not
the main purpose.
B. This is incorrect. Although reducing the use of paper and other resources is helpful, this is not
the main purpose of EHRs.
C. This is correct. Providing safe, quality patient care is the main purpose of EHRs. EHRs reduce
errors, increase safety, and improve quality of care.
D. This is incorrect. Although EHRs do make it easier to search records, this is not the main
purpose of EHRs.
There are several benefits to using EHRs. Which of the following is most specifically designed
to reduce medication errors?
, A. Barcode scanning of laboratory labels
B. Connection to monitoring equipment, such as telemetry and blood pressure cuffs
C. Data tracking
D. Barcode scanning of patient identification bracelets correct answers ANS: D
Page: 103
A. This is incorrect. Barcode scanning of laboratory labels reduces errors in laboratory testing.
B. This is incorrect. A connection to equipment monitoring the patient does facilitate
documentation of vital signs, but it does not directly reduce medication errors.
C. This is incorrect. Although tracking data through time is an advantage, it does not specifically
reduce medication errors.
D. This is correct. Barcode scanning of patient identification bracelets and medications are
examples of improved safety measures that are directly related to reducing medication errors.
Although there are many advantages to the use of electronic medical records (EMRs),
disadvantages do exist. Which of the following is a disadvantage to the use of EMRs?
A. Patient confidentiality
B. Portability
C. Identification of patients in need of screenings
D. Quality of care evaluation correct answers ANS: B
Page: 104
A. This is incorrect. Security safeguards are in place to protect patient confidentiality.
B. This is correct. Moving data from an EMR to a location other than the provider's practice or
the health-care facility can be difficult and may require physical printing of the information.
C. This is incorrect. The ease of quickly identifying patients in need of screenings is a benefit.
D. This is incorrect. The ability to evaluate the quality of care is a benefit.