CELBAN Telephone Communication in Healthcare 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A nurse receives a phone call from a physician requesting a patient update. Which opening response is most appropriate?
- This is Nurse Patel on 4 West. How can I help you? (Correct answer)
- Hello, who is this?
- Hold on, I need to find the chart.
- The patient is fine, don't worry.
Correct answer: This is Nurse Patel on 4 West. How can I help you?
Identifying yourself with your name and unit establishes professionalism and helps the caller confirm they have reached the right person.
Question 2: When leaving a voicemail for a physician about a deteriorating patient, a nurse should FIRST state:
- The patient's full name, room number, and the reason for the call (Correct answer)
- A detailed medical history of the patient
- Their personal opinion about the patient's prognosis
- A list of all current medications
Correct answer: The patient's full name, room number, and the reason for the call
Stating the patient's name, location, and reason for calling immediately gives the physician the key information needed to prioritize the callback.
Question 3: A nurse uses the SBAR framework during a phone call. What does the 'A' stand for?
- Assessment (Correct answer)
- Action
- Advocacy
- Alert
Correct answer: Assessment
In SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation), 'A' stands for Assessment — the nurse's clinical interpretation of the patient's condition.
Question 4: A caller asks for confidential patient information over the phone but cannot verify their identity. The nurse should:
- Politely decline and ask them to call back through the hospital's verified line (Correct answer)
- Share the information since they sound like a healthcare professional
- Transfer the call immediately to avoid the situation
- Provide only the diagnosis to save time
Correct answer: Politely decline and ask them to call back through the hospital's verified line
Patient confidentiality requires verifying the caller's identity before disclosing any information, regardless of how professional they sound.
Question 5: During a telephone handover, a nurse says 'I'll read that back to verify.' This technique is called:
- Readback or repeat-back (Correct answer)
- Double-checking
- Reflective listening
- Closed-loop acknowledgement
Correct answer: Readback or repeat-back
Readback (or repeat-back) is the standard safety technique for confirming verbal orders or critical information received by telephone.
Question 6: A nurse receives a telephone order for morphine 4 mg IV. Which response is safest?
- Repeat back: 'Morphine four milligrams intravenous — is that correct?' then document it immediately. (Correct answer)
- Say 'Got it' and administer the medication.
- Ask a colleague to listen in and trust their memory.
- Wait until the physician is on the ward to confirm in person.
Correct answer: Repeat back: 'Morphine four milligrams intravenous — is that correct?' then document it immediately.
Repeating back the order verbatim and documenting it immediately reduces the risk of error when accepting verbal telephone orders.
Question 7: Which phrase best demonstrates professional telephone closing etiquette for a nurse?
- 'Thank you for calling. I'll follow up with the team right away. Goodbye.' (Correct answer)
- 'Okay, bye.'
- 'Is that all? I'm very busy right now.'
- 'Call back if you need anything, I guess.'
Correct answer: 'Thank you for calling. I'll follow up with the team right away. Goodbye.'
A professional closing summarizes the next action, thanks the caller, and ends courteously, reinforcing accountability and communication clarity.
CELBAN Telephone Communication in Healthcare 1
A nurse receives a phone call from a physician requesting a patient update.
Which opening response is most appropriate?