A nurse has been called for duty during a response to a natural disaster. In this context of care, the nurse should expect to do which of the following?
- A. Practice outside of her normal area of clinical expertise.
- B. Perform interventions that are not based on assessment data.
- C. Prioritize psychosocial needs over physiologic needs.
- D. Prioritize the interests of older adults over younger patients.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Disaster response may require nurses to work beyond their usual expertise due to resource constraints. Interventions remain data-driven, and needs are not age-based.
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A hospitals emergency operations plan has been enacted following an industrial accident. While one nurse performs the initial triage, what should other emergency medical services personnel do?
- A. Perform life-saving measures.
- B. Classify patients according to acuity.
- C. Provide health promotion education.
- D. Modify the emergency operations plan.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: EMS personnel focus on life-saving interventions and transport post-triage, prioritizing immediate care over classification, education, or plan modification.
The nurse manager in the ED receives information that a local chemical plant has had a chemical leak. This disaster is assigned a status of level II. What does this classification indicate?
- A. First responders can manage the situation.
- B. Regional efforts and aid from surrounding communities can manage the situation.
- C. Statewide or federal assistance is required.
- D. The area must be evacuated immediately.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Level II disasters require regional support as local resources are overwhelmed, but state or federal aid is not typically needed. Evacuation is not inherently indicated by this level.
A patient was exposed to a dose of more than 5,000 rads of radiation during a terrorist attack. The patients skin will eventually show what manifestation?
- A. Erythema
- B. Ecchymosis
- C. Desquamation
- D. Necrosis
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: High radiation doses (>5,000 rads) cause skin necrosis within days to months. Lower doses cause erythema or desquamation, and ecchymosis is unrelated.
An industrial site has experienced a radiation leak and workers who have been potentially affected are en route to the hospital. To minimize the risks of contaminating the hospital, managers should perform what action?
- A. Place all potential victims on reverse isolation.
- B. Establish a triage outside the hospital.
- C. Have hospital staff put on personal protective equipment.
- D. Place hospital staff on abbreviated shifts of no more than 4 hours.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: External triage prevents hospital contamination by assessing and decontaminating victims outside. Other measures are less effective for this purpose.
A patient has been exposed to a nerve agent in a biochemical terrorist attack. This type of agent bonds with acetylcholinesterase, so that acetylcholine is not inactivated. What is the pathologic effect of this type of agent?
- A. Hyperstimulation of the nerve endings
- B. Temporary deactivation of the nerve endings
- C. Binding of the nerve endings
- D. Destruction of the nerve endings
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Nerve agents cause continuous nerve hyperstimulation by preventing acetylcholine breakdown. Deactivation, binding, or destruction do not occur.
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