,Chapter 01: Caring for the Critically Ill Patient
Test Bank
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Which of the following units can provide high quality and cost effective care for patients who
are less complex, more stable, and have a decreased need for physiologic monitoring could be
placed on?
a. intensive care units
b. triage units
c. progressive care units
d. medical surgical units
ANS: C
A growing trend in acute care settings is the designation of progressive care units, considered
to be part of the continuum of critical care. In past years, patients who are placed on these
units would have been exclusively in critical care units. However, with the use of additional
technology and monitoring capabilities, newer care delivery models, and additional nurse
education, these units are considered the best environment. The patients are less complex,
more stable, have a decreased need for physiologic monitoring, and more self-care
capabilities. They can serve as a bridge between critical care units and medical-surgical units,
while providing high quality and cost effective care at the same time.
2. _____ have a broad depth of knowledge and expertise in their specialty area and manage
complex clinical and system issues.
a. SCCMs
b. APNs
c. CNSs
d. AACNs
ANS: B
APNs have a broad depth of knowledge and expertise in their specialty area and manage
complex clinical and systems issues. CNSs serve in specialty roles that use their clinical,
teaching, research, leadership, and consultative abilities. SCCM stands for the Society of
Critical Care Medicine. AACN is the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
3. _____ are instrumental in ensuring care that is evidence based and that safety programs are in
place.
a. CNSs
b. APNs
c. SCCMs
d. AACNs
ANS: A
CNSs serve in specialty roles that use their clinical, teaching, research, leadership, and
consultative abilities. They are instrumental in ensuring that care is evidence based and that
safety programs are in place. APNs have a broad depth of knowledge and expertise in their
specialty area and manage complex clinical and systems issues. SCCM stands for the Society
of Critical Care Medicine. AACN is the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.
,4. The _____ administers many critical care certifications exams for registered nurses.
a. CNS
b. APN
c. SCCM
d. AACN
ANS: D
AACN is the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. CNSs serve in specialty roles that
use their clinical, teaching, research, leadership, and consultative abilities. They are
instrumental in ensuring that care is evidence based and that safety programs are in place.
APNs have a broad depth of knowledge and expertise in their specialty area and manage
complex clinical and systems issues. SCCM stands for the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
5. Emphasis is on human integrity and stresses the theory that the body, mind, and spirit are
interdependent and inseparable. This statement describes which methodology of care?
a. Holistic care
b. Individualized care
c. Cultural care
d. Interdisciplinary care
ANS: A
Holistic care focuses on human integrity and stresses that the body, mind, and spirit are
interdependent and inseparable. Individualized care recognizes the uniqueness of each
patient’s preferences, condition, and physiologic and psychosocial status. Cultural diversity in
health care is not a new topic, but it is gaining emphasis and importance as the world becomes
more accessible to all as the result of increasing technologies and interfaces with places and
peoples. Interdisciplinary care is care among a variety of health care professionals with the
patient’s health as the common goal.
6. The AACN has developed short directives that can be used as quick references for clinical use
that are known as
a. Critical Care Protocol.
b. Practice Policies.
c. Evidence-Based Research.
d. Practice Alerts.
ANS: D
The AACN has promulgated several evidence-based practice summaries in the form of
“Practice Alerts.” Evidence-based nursing practice considers the best research evidence on the
care topic along with clinical expertise of the nurse, and patient preferences. Critical care
protocol and practice policies are established by individual institutions.
7. A specific therapy or care that is an option to what is considered conventional treatment of a
condition is known as
a. Guided Imagery.
b. holistic care.
c. complementary care.
d. individualized care.
ANS: C
, Complementary therapies offer patients, families, and health care providers additional options
to assist with healing and recovery. The term complementary was proposed to describe
therapies that can be used to complement or support conventional treatments.
8. Animal assisted, guided imagery, and massage are all examples of
a. alternative therapy.
b. holistic care.
c. complementary care.
d. individualized care.
ANS: C
The term complementary was proposed to describe therapies that can be used to complement
or support conventional treatments. Spirituality, prayer, guided imagery, massage, and animal-
assisted therapy are all examples of complementary care. Alternative denotes that a specific
therapy is an option or alternative to what is considered conventional treatment of a condition
or state. Holistic care focuses on human integrity and stresses that the body, mind, and spirit
are interdependent and inseparable. Individualized care recognizes the uniqueness of each
patient’s preferences, condition, and physiologic and psychosocial status.
9. A patient was admitted to a rural ICU in Montana. Critical care nurses are assisting with
monitoring and care of the patient from the closest major city. This is an example of
a.telemedicine.
b.tele-ICU.
c.tele-informatics.
d.tele-hospital.
ANS: B
Telemedicine was initially used in outpatient areas, remote rural geographic locations, and
areas where there was a dearth of medical providers. Currently, there are tele-ICUs in areas
where there are limited resources onsite. However, experts (critical care nurses, intensivists)
are located in a central distant site.
10. Working with individuals of other professions to maintain a climate of mutual respect and
shared values best describes the concept of
a. interprofessional teamwork and team-based care.
b. values and ethics for interprofessional practice.
c. interprofessional communication.
d. roles and responsibilities for collaborative practice.
ANS: B
Values and ethics for interprofessional practice mean working with individuals of other
professions to maintain a climate of mutual respect and shared values. Roles and
responsibilities for collaborative practice include using knowledge of one’s own role and the
roles of other professions to appropriately assess and address the health care needs of the
patients and populations served. Interprofessional communication includes communicating
with patients, families, communities, and other health professionals in a responsive and
responsible manner that supports a team approach to maintaining health and treatment of
disease. Interprofessional teamwork and team-based care means applying relationship-
building values and principles of team dynamics to perform effectively in different team roles
to plan and deliver patient population-centered care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and
equitable.
