Checking that the trachea is midline and that the chest rises equally on both sides is part of the breathing assessment.
Correct Answer
True
True. During the breathing step the nurse counts the respiratory rate, watches the chest rise, checks tracheal position and notes the work of breathing. A shifted trachea or uneven chest rise can signal a serious chest injury.
Category: Triage and Assessment
Question 2
Some states allow a minor whom the provider judges mature enough to consent to certain treatments when a parent cannot be reached.
Correct Answer
True
True. Under mature minor rules in some states, the provider weighs the minor's maturity and the risks and benefits of the treatment, and a minor judged mature may consent to care such as casting a fracture. Nurses must know their own state's laws on treating minors.
Category: Consent and Transfer
Question 3
A poison control center can give the emergency team expert guidance on treating a suspected or confirmed poisoning.
Correct Answer
True
True. Poison control specialists advise on decontamination, monitoring and antidotes, and the nurse updates them as care continues. Their advice helps the team act quickly on a poisoning it may rarely see.
Category: Trauma and Poisoning
Question 4
Nurses must report suspected abuse even when they do not have proof that abuse occurred.
Correct Answer
True
True. Nurses are mandatory reporters, and the duty is triggered by a reasonable suspicion, not by proof. Investigating agencies, not the nurse, determine whether abuse occurred.
Category: Abuse and Forensic Care
Question 5
Wounds or burns on the hands and forearms, and clothing worn to hide injuries, can be signs of intimate partner abuse.
Correct Answer
True
True. Injuries to the hands and forearms and clothing that covers wounds are physical cues of partner abuse. Fear, low self-esteem, anxiety or vague complaints such as chest pain can also be presenting signs.
Category: Abuse and Forensic Care
Question 6
A chain of custody form lists every person who handled the evidence until it is released to law enforcement.
Correct Answer
True
True. The chain of custody documents each person who had the evidence and when, which shows that it was not altered or contaminated. A gap in the chain can keep the evidence from being used in court.
Category: Abuse and Forensic Care
Question 7
Restraints for a violent patient are a last resort that requires a provider order and continuous monitoring.
Correct Answer
True
True. Clear limits, offered choices and verbal de-escalation come first. When restraints are needed, they require a provider order, must follow legal and facility rules, and the patient is monitored continuously.
Category: Behavioral Emergencies
Question 8
Infection, electrolyte imbalances and encephalopathy can cause behavior that mimics a psychiatric illness.
Correct Answer
True
True. Organic problems can produce confusion, agitation or hallucinations that look like a psychiatric disorder. The nurse anticipates bloodwork and other diagnostics so a medical cause is not missed.
Category: Behavioral Emergencies
Question 9
When a patient received sedation in the emergency department, discharge instructions are also reviewed with the person who will take the patient home.
Correct Answer
True
True. Sedation can impair memory and judgment, so aftercare instructions are reviewed with a companion who can help the patient follow them. This supports a safe discharge.
Category: Consent and Transfer
Question 10
Employee assistance programs, exercise and talking with colleagues are ways emergency nurses can manage work stress.
Correct Answer
True
True. Repeated high-pressure emergencies take a toll, and self-care, workplace assistance programs, self-reflection and peer support help nurses recognize and manage stress before it leads to burnout.
Category: Staff Safety and Stress
Question 11
Crush injuries happen only when a body part is trapped under a heavy object such as a collapsed building.
Correct Answer
False
False. A crush injury results from prolonged pressure on a body area, which can also come from lying immobile for a long time or from prolonged positioning during anesthesia. The same complications, such as compartment syndrome and rhabdomyolysis, can follow.
Category: Trauma and Poisoning
Question 12
Intake and output monitoring is unnecessary after a crush injury because muscle damage does not affect the kidneys.
Correct Answer
False
False. Myoglobin and other substances released from damaged muscle can injure the kidneys, so the nurse tracks intake and output closely along with urine samples and lab results. Fluid balance shows whether resuscitation is working.
Category: Trauma and Poisoning
Question 13
Poisons enter the body only by being swallowed.
Correct Answer
False
False. Poisoning can occur by ingestion, by inhalation of gases such as carbon monoxide, or by absorption through the skin. The route affects which protective equipment and treatments are needed.
Category: Trauma and Poisoning
Question 14
A child's description of how an injury happened carries little weight when it differs from the parent's account.
Correct Answer
False
False. Nurses listen carefully to children, and a child's account that conflicts with a caregiver's story is a warning sign of possible abuse. That mismatch should be documented and reported.
Category: Abuse and Forensic Care
Question 15
A patient who reports a sexual assault is encouraged to shower before the forensic exam so the exam is more comfortable.
Correct Answer
False
False. Showering can remove biological and trace evidence, so the patient is gently asked to wait until evidence has been collected, if the patient chooses to have the exam. The examiner explains each step and obtains consent throughout.
Category: Abuse and Forensic Care
Question 16
When a patient in a mental health crisis also has a medical emergency, the psychiatric assessment is completed before the ABCDE survey.
Correct Answer
False
False. The ABCDE survey comes first, and the team confirms medical stability before moving on to the neurological and mental status assessment. A life-threatening physical problem cannot wait for a psychiatric evaluation.
Category: Behavioral Emergencies
Question 17
A patient on a psychiatric hold has agreed to the admission voluntarily.
Correct Answer
False
False. A psychiatric hold is an involuntary admission under law, ordered by a provider when a patient is a danger to self or others. Rules for these holds vary from state to state.
Category: Behavioral Emergencies
Question 18
Discharge planning in the emergency department begins only after the provider writes the discharge order.
Correct Answer
False
False. Discharge planning starts at the initial assessment and continues throughout the visit, with ongoing checks of readiness, resources and follow-up needs. Starting early helps prevent unsafe discharges and return visits.
Category: Consent and Transfer
Question 19
Emergency nurses are advised to wear keys and a lanyard around the neck so they can be identified quickly.
Correct Answer
False
False. Keys, lanyards and jewelry can be grabbed or used as weapons, so nurses avoid carrying them in ways a patient could use. A visible name badge is still worn for identification.
Category: Staff Safety and Stress
Question 20
In an emergency, a nurse may enter the room of a patient on airborne precautions without a respirator to save time.
Correct Answer
False
False. A nurse never enters a patient's room without the protective equipment the patient's precautions require, even in an emergency. Skipping it exposes the nurse and can spread infection to other patients.
Category: Staff Safety and Stress