Nclexrn Flashcards: Safe Use Of Equipment

What this deck covers

This deck focuses on Safe Use Of Equipment, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for Nclexrn.

How to use these flashcards

Work through these flashcards in short sessions. Try to answer each prompt before flipping the card, then revisit any cards you miss until the explanation feels automatic.

Flashcard 1: What is the correct technique for using a gait belt during assisted ambulation?

Answer: Snug at waist over clothing; hold at sides/back, not by buckle. Offers secure, non-injurious support to assist mobility and prevent falls during walking.

Flashcard 2: What is the priority safety action before using any powered patient-care equipment at the bedside?

Answer: Verify equipment is intact, plugged safely, and passes functional check. Ensures equipment functionality and electrical safety to prevent malfunctions or hazards during patient care.

Flashcard 3: Which option is the correct practice for safe use of restraints related to equipment and handling?

Answer: Use least restrictive; ensure quick-release; maintain 2-finger space. Adheres to principles minimizing harm, allowing quick release, and ensuring adequate circulation.

Flashcard 4: What is the correct bed setting to reduce shear and sliding for a patient at pressure-injury risk?

Answer: Keep head of bed as low as tolerated, generally $\leq 30^\circ$. Minimizes friction and shear forces on skin to prevent pressure injuries in at-risk patients.

Flashcard 5: Which action best prevents patient falls when the nurse leaves the room briefly?

Answer: Bed in lowest position, wheels locked, call light within reach. Reduces fall height, stabilizes the bed, and allows quick summoning of help to minimize injury risk.

Flashcard 6: What is the appropriate response to a bed-exit alarm sounding for a high-fall-risk patient?

Answer: Go to the patient immediately and assist; do not silence and delay. Provides immediate intervention to avert falls in vulnerable patients alerted by the system.

Flashcard 7: Which option is the priority check before using oxygen equipment in a patient room?

Answer: Remove ignition sources; enforce no smoking/open flames. Mitigates fire risk since oxygen accelerates combustion in the presence of sparks or flames.

Flashcard 8: What is the correct action if an IV pump alarm indicates occlusion during an infusion?

Answer: Assess IV site/tubing for kinks or infiltration; correct then restart. Troubleshoots blockages to restore flow and prevent complications like infiltration or delay in therapy.

Flashcard 9: Which action best prevents accidental dislodgement of tubes or lines during repositioning?

Answer: Secure lines, trace to patient, move as a team, and monitor tension. Coordinates handling to avoid tension that could disconnect or damage invasive devices.

Flashcard 10: Identify the correct action if a patient begins to fall while ambulating with a gait belt.

Answer: Widen stance, guide to floor, protect head; do not try to stop fall. Controls descent to minimize injury while protecting both patient and nurse from harm.

Flashcard 11: What is the correct immediate action if an electrical device sparks or smokes during use?

Answer: Stop use, unplug if safe, remove from service, and report per policy. Prevents escalation of electrical hazards like fire or shock by isolating the malfunctioning device.

Flashcard 12: Which action is required when using an isolation room's dedicated equipment (e.g., stethoscope)?

Answer: Keep equipment in room or disinfect per policy before removal. Controls infection spread by containing or decontaminating items used in isolation settings.

Flashcard 13: Which finding requires stopping a mechanical lift transfer immediately?

Answer: Sling slipping, patient distress, equipment malfunction, or instability. Signals immediate hazards that could result in patient harm or equipment failure during transfer.

Flashcard 14: What is the correct direction to turn a patient with hemiparesis during repositioning?

Answer: Turn toward the unaffected (stronger) side unless contraindicated. Leverages the patient's stronger side for better stability and reduced injury risk during movement.

Flashcard 15: What is the correct body mechanics alignment for lifting to protect the nurse's back?

Answer: Neutral spine, wide base, bend hips/knees, keep load close. Distributes force through legs and core to minimize spinal strain during lifting tasks.

Flashcard 16: What is the correct order of actions when using a mechanical lift for bed-to-chair transfer?

Answer: Explain, inspect lift/sling, apply sling, raise, move, lower, remove. Follows a systematic sequence to ensure patient comfort, equipment integrity, and safe transfer.

Flashcard 17: What is the safest method to prevent foot drop in a bedbound patient?

Answer: Maintain neutral ankle with a footboard or splint/boot. Prevents plantar flexion contractures by supporting proper ankle alignment in immobile patients.

Flashcard 18: What is the correct nursing action if SCD sleeves are removed for ambulation?

Answer: Reapply promptly after return to bed or chair and restart device. Restores venous return enhancement to continue preventing deep vein thrombosis post-activity.

Flashcard 19: What is the safest placement for a patient's call light to support safe equipment use and mobility?

Answer: In the patient's dominant hand and within easy reach. Facilitates easy access for summoning help, promoting independence and rapid response.

Flashcard 20: Which option indicates the need to use a mechanical lift for transfer rather than manual assist?

Answer: Patient cannot bear weight or is unpredictable/uncooperative. Prevents injury to patient and staff when manual methods are insufficient for safe transfer.

Flashcard 21: Which option best describes safe wheelchair transfer positioning before standing the patient?

Answer: Lock wheels, remove/raise footrests, place chair on strong side. Stabilizes equipment and positions it optimally to facilitate safe patient movement during transfer.

Flashcard 22: What is the safest nursing action before assisting a postoperative patient to stand for the first time?

Answer: Assess orthostatic tolerance; dangle at bedside before standing. Evaluates for hypotension to prevent syncope or falls when transitioning to upright position.

Flashcard 23: What is the safest technique to move a patient up in bed with a friction-reducing device?

Answer: Use a draw sheet and at least two staff; lift, do not drag. Distributes weight evenly and reduces shear forces on the patient's skin during repositioning.

Flashcard 24: What is the correct bed-rail practice to reduce injury and restraint risk?

Answer: Use the minimum rails needed; avoid raising all rails as routine. Minimizes entrapment hazards and avoids classifying rails as restraints unless clinically necessary.

Flashcard 25: Which action is required before applying sequential compression devices (SCDs)?

Answer: Assess skin and pulses; verify no suspected DVT or severe PAD. Identifies contraindications to avoid exacerbating vascular issues or causing tissue damage.