Patient Care & Safety Standards Flashcards
6 cards from real DHA practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Patient Care & Safety Standards flashcards as text
A patient is transferred from the ICU to the ward. To ensure care continuity and prevent adverse events, which communication tool is recommended by DHA and international standards?
Answer: SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) handover communication
SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) is the structured communication tool recommended for clinical handovers including ICU-to-ward transfers. It ensures critical information is communicated in a standardized, efficient format, reducing handover-related adverse events.
A ward nurse observes a rapid decline in a patient's condition (increased respiratory rate, falling oxygen saturation, tachycardia). The physician has not yet responded to pages. What is the appropriate escalation?
Answer: Activate the Rapid Response Team (RRT)/Medical Emergency Team (MET)
Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) exist to respond to deteriorating ward patients before they progress to cardiac arrest. Any healthcare worker who identifies clinical deterioration should activate the RRT without delay. RRT criteria typically include abnormal vital signs, altered consciousness, or clinician concern.
Which medication class is on the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) list of High-Alert Medications requiring special safeguards?
Answer: Concentrated electrolytes (e.g., concentrated potassium chloride)
Concentrated electrolytes, particularly concentrated potassium chloride (KCl), are high-alert medications associated with fatal errors. Many facilities have removed concentrated KCl from ward stock entirely, requiring dilution in pharmacy before dispensing. Other high-alert medications include insulin, heparin, chemotherapy, and neuromuscular blocking agents.
Under DHA open disclosure guidelines, when a patient is harmed by a medical error, what must the healthcare provider do?
Answer: Proactively inform the patient and/or family of what happened, apologize, explain what is known, and outline corrective steps
Open disclosure is an ethical and DHA regulatory obligation. When a patient suffers harm from a healthcare error, the provider must proactively communicate: what happened, acknowledge harm, apologize sincerely, explain consequences, outline corrective actions, and offer support. Early, honest disclosure actually reduces legal claims.
In fall prevention for hospitalized patients, which tool is most commonly used to assess fall risk at the time of admission?
Answer: Morse Fall Scale or Hendrich II Fall Risk Model
The Morse Fall Scale and Hendrich II Fall Risk Model are validated, widely-used tools for assessing inpatient fall risk. Morse Fall Scale scores six factors (fall history, secondary diagnosis, ambulatory aid, IV/heparin lock, gait, mental status) to classify risk as low/medium/high.
The 'Time Out' component of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist is performed at which point?
Answer: Immediately before the surgical incision, with all team members present
The 'Time Out' is performed immediately before the first incision with ALL team members (surgeon, anesthesiologist, nurses, scrub tech) present and engaged. The team verbally confirms: patient identity, surgical site marked, procedure agreed upon, anesthesia safety, antibiotic prophylaxis, imaging available, and any concerns.