Compliance, Safety, and Professional Responsibility practice questions

Answer: A) Misusing a patient's money or property

• ACorrect. It's reportable.
• BIncorrect. That isn't abuse.
• CIncorrect. That isn't abuse.
• DIncorrect. That's appropriate.

Answer: B) Report the concern to the nurse so discharge planning staff, such as a case manager or social worker, can be involved

When a patient raises a discharge or home-care concern, the PCT should report it to the nurse. Discharge planning is done by or under the supervision of a registered nurse, social worker or other qualified staff, who will make sure the patient chooses services from a list the hospital provides.

• AIncorrect. Patients have the right to choose among qualified post-acute providers from a list the hospital supplies. A personal recommendation from the technician is outside scope and could limit that choice.
• BCorrect. The technician works under nursing direction. Discharge planning is done by or under the supervision of a registered nurse, social worker or other qualified staff, so passing the concern to the nurse gets the right team involved.
• CIncorrect. Arranging post-acute services is part of the discharge planning process run by qualified staff. It is outside the technician's role and skips the patient's right to choose a provider.
• DIncorrect. This puts off a safety concern until after discharge, when the discharge planning team should handle it before the patient leaves.

Answer: B) To evaluate whether the facility complies with established health and safety standards

An accreditation survey checks whether a facility meets established quality and safety standards. CMS-approved accreditation can deem a facility to meet federal Medicare requirements.

• AIncorrect. Surveyors may review personnel files as part of the survey, but issuing and verifying individual credentials is the job of licensing boards and certifying bodies. It is not the purpose of the survey.
• BCorrect. Accrediting organizations survey providers for compliance with health and safety standards. CMS-approved accreditation can deem a facility to meet federal Medicare participation requirements.
• CIncorrect. Payers and their contractors decide on individual claims. Accreditation surveys look at whether the facility meets standards, not whether specific bills get paid.
• DIncorrect. Accreditation focuses on quality and safety of care, not pricing or market competitiveness.

Answer: C) Place a wet-floor warning sign at the spill and make sure it is cleaned up promptly

Spills are slip-and-fall hazards. Mark the area with a warning sign right away and make sure the spill is cleaned promptly so the floor is kept clean and dry.

• AIncorrect. Covering a spill hides it without removing it. The floor stays slippery and people can't see the hazard.
• BIncorrect. Calling for help is fine, but leaving the spill unmarked and unattended exposes patients, visitors, and staff to a fall hazard while they wait.
• CCorrect. Marking the hazard right away and getting it removed quickly keeps the floor dry and free of spills, as OSHA requires, and helps prevent falls.
• DIncorrect. Verbal warnings don't reach everyone, and leaving the spill in place keeps the hazard there longer.

Answer: B) The care team

• AIncorrect. This needs authorization.
• BCorrect. Share only as needed for treatment.
• CIncorrect. This violates privacy.
• DIncorrect. This violates privacy.

Answer: B) Activate the alarm

• AIncorrect. Contain the fire by closing doors.
• BCorrect. Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish/Evacuate.
• CIncorrect. Avoid elevators.
• DIncorrect. This wastes time.

Answer: A) SDSs are readily accessible to employees in their work area during every work shift

OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to keep a Safety Data Sheet for each hazardous chemical and make it readily accessible to employees in their work area during each shift. Electronic access is allowed if it doesn't block immediate access.

• ACorrect. OSHA requires employers to keep SDSs in the workplace and make them readily accessible to employees in their work areas during each work shift.
• BIncorrect. A request-and-wait process doesn't give immediate access. Workers need SDS information right away during their shift, for example after a spill or exposure.
• CIncorrect. OSHA allows electronic access to SDSs, as long as it doesn't stop employees from getting the information immediately.
• DIncorrect. Manufacturers must provide SDSs to their customers, but the employer must keep them in the workplace for exposed workers. Getting one only after an incident is too late.

Answer: A) To record the event so the facility can review its causes and change systems to prevent it from happening again

Incident reports record unusual events, including near misses, so the facility can find causes and prevent recurrence. They are part of a non-punitive safety process, not a tool for discipline or assigning blame.

• ACorrect. Incident reports record unusual events, including near misses and unsafe conditions, so the organization can analyze them and improve patient safety.
• BIncorrect. Incident reports are quality and safety tools. They are not meant to assign legal blame to an individual.
• CIncorrect. Facilities are expected to take a non-punitive approach to reporting so that staff feel safe reporting errors and near misses.
• DIncorrect. Near misses and unsafe conditions should be reported too, because they reveal risks before harm occurs.

Answer: A) Make sure the resident is safe, then report what was seen to the charge nurse or supervisor right away

When abuse is witnessed, the technician must protect the patient and report it right away to the supervisor. It cannot be delayed, handed off to the abuser, or made dependent on the patient's consent.

• ACorrect. The first priority is stopping further harm to the resident. Alleged abuse must then be reported right away through the facility's chain of command. Federal long-term care rules require reporting no later than 2 hours when abuse is involved.
• BIncorrect. Waiting leaves the resident at risk and breaks the requirement to report abuse right away.
• CIncorrect. A witness cannot hand off the duty to report, and delaying lets abuse continue. The technician must report it directly and right away.
• DIncorrect. Reporting suspected abuse is required and does not depend on the resident's consent. Fear or pressure may also keep the resident from asking for help.

Answer: B) Tell the nurse and complete an incident report following facility policy

Errors and near misses should be reported through facility channels even when no harm results. Reporting supports a nonpunitive safety culture and lets the organization learn from what went wrong.

• AIncorrect. Near misses and no-harm errors should still be reported. Reports show where processes fail so they can be fixed before someone is harmed.
• BCorrect. Reporting the event through the facility's process supports a nonpunitive safety culture and lets the organization learn from errors and near misses.
• CIncorrect. Whether to report does not depend on harm appearing later. The event should be reported promptly so it can be reviewed.
• DIncorrect. Incident reports are internal quality and risk documents. They are filed through the facility's reporting system, not placed in the patient's chart.