Chapter 11: Care of Patients with Common Environmental Emergencies
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. While the nurse is visiting the community pool, an adult swimmer is pulled out of the pool, unconscious
and cyanotic. What is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Begin chest compressions.
b. Move from the pool area.
c. Give two rescue breaths.
d. Check for a carotid pulse.
ANS: C
2. The nurse working at a first aid booth during a summer marathon sees several runners. Which runner should
be seen first? A runner who:
a. Has fallen several times
b. Is fatigued
c. Thinks he has the flu
d. Has tachypnea
ANS: A
3. The nurse is working at a first aid booth for a spring training game on a hot day. A spectator comes in,
reporting that he is not feeling well. Vital signs are temperature 104.1° F (40.1° C), pulse 132 beats/min,
respirations 26
,breaths/min, and blood pressure 106/66 mm Hg. He trips over his feet as the nurse leads him to a cot. What is the
priority action of the nurse?
a. Encourage drinking of cool water or sports drinks.
b. Sponge the victim with cool water and remove his shirt.
c. Administer Tylenol (acetaminophen), 650 mg orally.
d. Encourage rest, and reassess in 15 minutes.
ANS: B
4. The emergency department nurse assesses a client in extreme pain with an apparent snakebite of the leg.
Vital signs are stable. What is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Call the regional poison control center.
b. Administer IV pain medication.
c. Place a tourniquet around the leg.
d. Apply an immobilization splint.
ANS: D
5. The nurse is teaching a wilderness survival class. Which statement by a participant indicates that
additional teaching is needed?
a. “If I get too cold, I can have some brandy to help me get warmed up.”
,b. “My climbing partner should let me know right away if my nose turns white.”
c. “If my partner can’t think straight, we should descend to a lower altitude.”
d. “It is okay to feel a little short of breath when I am climbing, but not at rest.”
ANS: A
Alcohol will increase the risk of cold-related injuries and should be avoided. The other options all show good
understanding of the education.
6. A community nurse assesses a client, who has an allergy to bees, after a bee sting. The client’s lips are
swollen, and wheezes are audible. What is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Elevate the site and notify the client’s next of kin.
b. Remove the stinger with tweezers and encourage rest.
c. Administer diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and apply ice.
d. Administer an EpiPen from the first aid kit and call 911.
ANS: D
7. While on a camping trip, the nurse provides care for a camper who was bitten by a black widow spider. What
is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Apply ice to the site of the bite.
, b. Apply a loose tourniquet to the limb.
c. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain.
d. Cover the camper with a warm blanket.
ANS: A
8. A client presents to the emergency department after prolonged exposure to the cold. The client is shivering,
has slurred speech, and is slow to respond to questions. Which treatment will the nurse prepare for this client?
a. Dry clothing and warm blankets
b. Administration of warmed IV fluids
c. Peritoneal lavage with warmed normal saline
d. Continuous arteriovenous rewarming
ANS: A
9. The emergency department nurse assesses a middle-aged mountain climber who reports headache,
nausea, vomiting, and “feeling winded.” What is the nurse’s priority intervention?
a. Administer acetazolamide (Diamox).
b. Administer prochlorperazine (Compazine).
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. While the nurse is visiting the community pool, an adult swimmer is pulled out of the pool, unconscious
and cyanotic. What is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Begin chest compressions.
b. Move from the pool area.
c. Give two rescue breaths.
d. Check for a carotid pulse.
ANS: C
2. The nurse working at a first aid booth during a summer marathon sees several runners. Which runner should
be seen first? A runner who:
a. Has fallen several times
b. Is fatigued
c. Thinks he has the flu
d. Has tachypnea
ANS: A
3. The nurse is working at a first aid booth for a spring training game on a hot day. A spectator comes in,
reporting that he is not feeling well. Vital signs are temperature 104.1° F (40.1° C), pulse 132 beats/min,
respirations 26
,breaths/min, and blood pressure 106/66 mm Hg. He trips over his feet as the nurse leads him to a cot. What is the
priority action of the nurse?
a. Encourage drinking of cool water or sports drinks.
b. Sponge the victim with cool water and remove his shirt.
c. Administer Tylenol (acetaminophen), 650 mg orally.
d. Encourage rest, and reassess in 15 minutes.
ANS: B
4. The emergency department nurse assesses a client in extreme pain with an apparent snakebite of the leg.
Vital signs are stable. What is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Call the regional poison control center.
b. Administer IV pain medication.
c. Place a tourniquet around the leg.
d. Apply an immobilization splint.
ANS: D
5. The nurse is teaching a wilderness survival class. Which statement by a participant indicates that
additional teaching is needed?
a. “If I get too cold, I can have some brandy to help me get warmed up.”
,b. “My climbing partner should let me know right away if my nose turns white.”
c. “If my partner can’t think straight, we should descend to a lower altitude.”
d. “It is okay to feel a little short of breath when I am climbing, but not at rest.”
ANS: A
Alcohol will increase the risk of cold-related injuries and should be avoided. The other options all show good
understanding of the education.
6. A community nurse assesses a client, who has an allergy to bees, after a bee sting. The client’s lips are
swollen, and wheezes are audible. What is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Elevate the site and notify the client’s next of kin.
b. Remove the stinger with tweezers and encourage rest.
c. Administer diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and apply ice.
d. Administer an EpiPen from the first aid kit and call 911.
ANS: D
7. While on a camping trip, the nurse provides care for a camper who was bitten by a black widow spider. What
is the priority action of the nurse?
a. Apply ice to the site of the bite.
, b. Apply a loose tourniquet to the limb.
c. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol) for pain.
d. Cover the camper with a warm blanket.
ANS: A
8. A client presents to the emergency department after prolonged exposure to the cold. The client is shivering,
has slurred speech, and is slow to respond to questions. Which treatment will the nurse prepare for this client?
a. Dry clothing and warm blankets
b. Administration of warmed IV fluids
c. Peritoneal lavage with warmed normal saline
d. Continuous arteriovenous rewarming
ANS: A
9. The emergency department nurse assesses a middle-aged mountain climber who reports headache,
nausea, vomiting, and “feeling winded.” What is the nurse’s priority intervention?
a. Administer acetazolamide (Diamox).
b. Administer prochlorperazine (Compazine).
