The synergy model of practice focuses on:
a. allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day.
b. holistic and alternative therapies.
c. needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency.
d. patients' needs for energy and support. - ANSWER c
Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing prac-
tice?
a. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
b. American Heart Association
c. American Nurses Association
d. Society of Critical Care Medicine - ANSWER a
The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician
in over 24 hours and they have some questions that they want clarified. During morning
rounds, you convey this concern to the attending intensivist and arrange for her to meet
with the family at 4:00 PM in the conference room. Which competency of critical care nurs-
ing does this represent?
a. Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
b. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
c. Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
d. Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members - ANSWER c
The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit.
She assigns the experienced, certified nurse to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who
also requires continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. She assigns
1
,the nurse with less than 1 year of experience to two patients who are more stable. This as-
signment reflects implementation of the:
a. crew resource management model
b. National Patient Safety Goals
c. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model
d. synergy model of practice - ANSWER d
The family members of a critically ill, 90-year-old patient bring in a copy of the patient's liv-
ing will to the hospital, which identifies the patient's wishes regarding health care. You dis-
cuss contents of the living will with the patient's physician. This is an example of implemen-
tation of which of the AACN Standards of Professional Performance?
a. Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
b. Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
c. Considers factors related to safe patient care
d. Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice - ANSWER b
As part of nursing management of a critically ill patient, orders are written to keep the head
of the bed elevated at 30 degrees, awaken the patient from sedation each morning to assess
readiness to wean from mechanical ventilation, and implement oral care protocols every 4
hours. These interventions are done as a group to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated
pneumonia. This group of evidence-based interventions is often called a:
a. bundle of care.
b. clinical practice guideline.
c. patient safety goal.
d. quality improvement initiative. - ANSWER a
Which of the following statements describes the core concept of the synergy model of prac-
tice?
a. All nurses must be certified in order to have the synergy model implemented.
b. Family members must be included in daily interdisciplinary rounds.
2
,c. Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively and synergistically to influence care.
d. Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies. - ANSWER
d
Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal? (Select all that apply.)
a. Accurately identify patients.
b. Eliminate use of patient restraints.
c. Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. Reduce risks of healthcare-acquired infection. - ANSWER a,c,d
Which of the following nursing activities demonstrates implementation of the AACN Stand-
ards of Professional Performance? (Select all that apply.)
a. Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses in which a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
b. Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the
patient and family
c. Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
d. Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on management of venous thromboembolism
for your colleagues to read
e. Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia - AN-
SWER a,b,c,d,e
Which scenarios contribute to effective handoff communication at change of shift? (Select
all that apply.)
a. The nephrology consultant physician is making rounds and asks you to update her on the
patient's status and assist in placing a central line for hemodialysis.
b. The noise level is high because twice as many staff members are present and everyone is
giving report in the nurse's station.
c. The unit has decided to use a standardized checklist/tool for change-of-shift reports and
patient transfers.
3
, d. You and the oncoming nurse conduct a standardized report at the patient's bedside and
review key assessment findings. - ANSWER c,d
Which of the following strategies will assist in creating a healthy work environment for the
critical care nurse? (Select all that apply.)
a. Celebrating improved outcomes from a nurse-driven protocol with a pizza party
b. Implementing a medication safety program designed by pharmacists
c. Modifying the staffing pattern to ensure a 1:1 nurse/patient ratio
d. Offering quarterly joint nurse-physician workshops to discuss unit issues
e. Using the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) technique for
handoff communication - ANSWER a,d,e
Which strategy is important to addressing issues associated with the aging workforce? (Se-
lect all that apply.)
a. Allowing nurses to work flexible shift durations
b. Encouraging older nurses to transfer to an outpatient setting that is less stressful
c. Hiring nurse technicians that are available to assist with patient care, such as turning the
patient
d. Remodeling patient care rooms to include devices to assist in patient lifting - ANSWER
a,c,d
The nurse is caring for a patient who is on a cardiac monitor. The nurse realizes that the si-
nus node is the pacemaker of the heart because it is:
a. the fastest pacemaker cell in the heart.
b. the only pacemaker cell in the heart.
c. the only cell that does not affect the cardiac cycle.
d. located in the left side of the heart. - ANSWER A
The cardiac cycle begins with an impulse that is generated from a small concentrated area of
pacemaker cells high in the right atria called the sinoatrial node (sinus node or SA node). The
SA node has the fastest rate of discharge and thus is the dominant pacemaker of the heart.
4
a. allowing unrestricted visiting for the patient 24 hours each day.
b. holistic and alternative therapies.
c. needs of patients and their families, which drives nursing competency.
d. patients' needs for energy and support. - ANSWER c
Which of the following professional organizations best supports critical care nursing prac-
tice?
a. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
b. American Heart Association
c. American Nurses Association
d. Society of Critical Care Medicine - ANSWER a
The family of your critically ill patient tells you that they have not spoken with the physician
in over 24 hours and they have some questions that they want clarified. During morning
rounds, you convey this concern to the attending intensivist and arrange for her to meet
with the family at 4:00 PM in the conference room. Which competency of critical care nurs-
ing does this represent?
a. Advocacy and moral agency in solving ethical issues
b. Clinical judgment and clinical reasoning skills
c. Collaboration with patients, families, and team members
d. Facilitation of learning for patients, families, and team members - ANSWER c
The charge nurse is responsible for making the patient assignments on the critical care unit.
She assigns the experienced, certified nurse to care for the acutely ill patient with sepsis who
also requires continuous renal replacement therapy and mechanical ventilation. She assigns
1
,the nurse with less than 1 year of experience to two patients who are more stable. This as-
signment reflects implementation of the:
a. crew resource management model
b. National Patient Safety Goals
c. Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) model
d. synergy model of practice - ANSWER d
The family members of a critically ill, 90-year-old patient bring in a copy of the patient's liv-
ing will to the hospital, which identifies the patient's wishes regarding health care. You dis-
cuss contents of the living will with the patient's physician. This is an example of implemen-
tation of which of the AACN Standards of Professional Performance?
a. Acquires and maintains current knowledge of practice
b. Acts ethically on the behalf of the patient and family
c. Considers factors related to safe patient care
d. Uses clinical inquiry and integrates research findings in practice - ANSWER b
As part of nursing management of a critically ill patient, orders are written to keep the head
of the bed elevated at 30 degrees, awaken the patient from sedation each morning to assess
readiness to wean from mechanical ventilation, and implement oral care protocols every 4
hours. These interventions are done as a group to reduce the risk of ventilator-associated
pneumonia. This group of evidence-based interventions is often called a:
a. bundle of care.
b. clinical practice guideline.
c. patient safety goal.
d. quality improvement initiative. - ANSWER a
Which of the following statements describes the core concept of the synergy model of prac-
tice?
a. All nurses must be certified in order to have the synergy model implemented.
b. Family members must be included in daily interdisciplinary rounds.
2
,c. Nurses and physicians must work collaboratively and synergistically to influence care.
d. Unique needs of patients and their families influence nursing competencies. - ANSWER
d
Which of the following is a National Patient Safety Goal? (Select all that apply.)
a. Accurately identify patients.
b. Eliminate use of patient restraints.
c. Reconcile medications across the continuum of care.
d. Reduce risks of healthcare-acquired infection. - ANSWER a,c,d
Which of the following nursing activities demonstrates implementation of the AACN Stand-
ards of Professional Performance? (Select all that apply.)
a. Attending a meeting of the local chapter of the American Association of Critical-Care
Nurses in which a continuing education program on sepsis is being taught
b. Collaborating with a pastoral services colleague to assist in meeting spiritual needs of the
patient and family
c. Participating on the unit's nurse practice council
d. Posting an article from Critical Care Nurse on management of venous thromboembolism
for your colleagues to read
e. Using evidence-based strategies to prevent ventilator-associated pneumonia - AN-
SWER a,b,c,d,e
Which scenarios contribute to effective handoff communication at change of shift? (Select
all that apply.)
a. The nephrology consultant physician is making rounds and asks you to update her on the
patient's status and assist in placing a central line for hemodialysis.
b. The noise level is high because twice as many staff members are present and everyone is
giving report in the nurse's station.
c. The unit has decided to use a standardized checklist/tool for change-of-shift reports and
patient transfers.
3
, d. You and the oncoming nurse conduct a standardized report at the patient's bedside and
review key assessment findings. - ANSWER c,d
Which of the following strategies will assist in creating a healthy work environment for the
critical care nurse? (Select all that apply.)
a. Celebrating improved outcomes from a nurse-driven protocol with a pizza party
b. Implementing a medication safety program designed by pharmacists
c. Modifying the staffing pattern to ensure a 1:1 nurse/patient ratio
d. Offering quarterly joint nurse-physician workshops to discuss unit issues
e. Using the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) technique for
handoff communication - ANSWER a,d,e
Which strategy is important to addressing issues associated with the aging workforce? (Se-
lect all that apply.)
a. Allowing nurses to work flexible shift durations
b. Encouraging older nurses to transfer to an outpatient setting that is less stressful
c. Hiring nurse technicians that are available to assist with patient care, such as turning the
patient
d. Remodeling patient care rooms to include devices to assist in patient lifting - ANSWER
a,c,d
The nurse is caring for a patient who is on a cardiac monitor. The nurse realizes that the si-
nus node is the pacemaker of the heart because it is:
a. the fastest pacemaker cell in the heart.
b. the only pacemaker cell in the heart.
c. the only cell that does not affect the cardiac cycle.
d. located in the left side of the heart. - ANSWER A
The cardiac cycle begins with an impulse that is generated from a small concentrated area of
pacemaker cells high in the right atria called the sinoatrial node (sinus node or SA node). The
SA node has the fastest rate of discharge and thus is the dominant pacemaker of the heart.
4
