Question 1

A nurse practitioner reports a case of gonorrhea to the local health department. Which type of surveillance system is being used?
A) Active
B) Passive
C) Sentinel
D) Special

Accepted Answer

Passive surveillance involves the routine reporting of health data by all institutions that provide care to the population. In this case, the nurse practitioner reporting a case of gonorrhea to the local health department is an example of passive surveillance, as it relies on the regular, standard reporting of diagnosed cases by healthcare providers.

Question 2

A person recently returning from overseas is diagnosed with Q fever. Which of the following must occur?
A) Reporting must occur on the federal level.
B) The case must be reported to the state and local health departments.
C) The patient must be isolated immediately.
D) The patient's immunization record must be reviewed.

Accepted Answer

Q fever is a notifiable disease in many countries, including the United States, and must be reported to state and local health departments to monitor and control outbreaks. Federal reporting may not be mandatory in all cases, and immediate isolation or review of immunization records is not specifically required for Q fever management.

Question 3

A nurse is using surveillance to collect outcome data. What information would most likely be collected?
A) Number of clinic services which use evidence-based protocols
B) Proportion of the population vaccinated against influenza
C) Incidence of breast cancer in the population
D) Probability of a bioterrorism attack occurring in the community

Accepted Answer

Surveillance in healthcare often involves collecting data on the incidence of diseases, such as breast cancer, to monitor and improve health outcomes.

Question 4

A hospital is using surveillance. Which of the following describes the rationale for this action?
A) To protect the public against isolated patients
B) To eliminate pathogens from the environment
C) To improve quality of care and outcomes
D) To decrease the incidence of ventilator-acquired pneumonia

Accepted Answer

Surveillance in a hospital setting is primarily used to monitor and improve the quality of care and outcomes by tracking health-related data, identifying potential issues, and implementing measures to enhance patient safety and care standards.

Question 5

A nurse is applying the steps of surveillance from the Minnesota Model of Public Health Interventions book. Which of the following describes the initial action that the nurse would take?
A) Analyze data.
B) Consider whether surveillance is appropriate to the situation.
C) Evaluate the impact of the surveillance.
D) Collect data.

Accepted Answer

The initial action in applying the steps of surveillance according to the Minnesota Model of Public Health Interventions involves considering whether surveillance is appropriate to the situation. This step ensures that resources are allocated efficiently and that the surveillance method chosen is suitable for addressing the specific public health issue at hand.

Question 6

A nurse is completing a disease investigation. Based on the clinical symptoms presented, it is assumed that the individual has measles. However, there has been no laboratory evidence documenting that this individual has the disease. Which of the following types of cases is the nurse investigating?
A) A suspected case
B) A confirmed case
C) A prolonged case
D) An identified case

Accepted Answer

A suspected case is one in which a person shows symptoms of a disease but has not been confirmed by laboratory tests. In this scenario, the individual shows symptoms of measles but lacks laboratory confirmation, fitting the definition of a suspected case.

Question 7

A large amount of data related to hypertension rates in a community is collected and analyzed. What is the next step in the surveillance process?
A) Collecting data from multiple valid sources
B) Evaluating the impact on the surveillance system
C) Interpreting the data and disseminating it to decision makers
D) Asking political officials to finance a hypertension clinic

Accepted Answer

Interpreting the data and disseminating it to decision makers is the next logical step after data collection and analysis in the surveillance process. This allows for informed decisions and actions to be taken based on the findings.

Question 8

A public health nurse (PHN) is investigating an outbreak of salmonellosis in a community. Which type of surveillance system is being used?
A) Active
B) Passive
C) Sentinel
D) Special

Accepted Answer

Active surveillance involves direct action by health officials to actively seek out cases, often in response to an outbreak, which is what the public health nurse is doing in this scenario.

Question 9

A community coalition monitors the increasing obesity rate of children in their schools. Based on this data, they consider a variety of programming options which may possibly help decrease this trend. What was the purpose of conducting this surveillance?
A) Protect the children from diseases that affect obese children.
B) Teach parents that obesity will not be tolerated in this community.
C) Educate children on surveillance techniques.
D) Demonstrate that new clinical and effective protocols need to be developed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A community coalition monitors the increasing obesity...

Question 10

The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak was an epidemic that spread over several countries. Which of the following terms describes what happened?
A) Hyperendemic
B) Pandemic
C) Mixed outbreak
D) Holoendemic

Accepted Answer

The SARS outbreak spread over several countries, affecting a large number of people worldwide, which classifies it as a pandemic. A pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.

Question 11

What was the purpose of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) creating the first list of standard case definitions for notifiable diseases?
A) Some diseases were underreported, and others were overreported.
B) There was no central office to collect data.
C) Some people refused to notify officials when diseases were seen.
D) No one knew where to report the information that was collected.

Accepted Answer

The CDC created the first list of standard case definitions for notifiable diseases to address the issue of some diseases being underreported and others being overreported. This standardization was crucial for improving the accuracy and consistency of disease reporting across different regions and healthcare settings.

Question 12

What information is shared among agencies when they collaborate to implement a quality surveillance system?
A) How to use algorithms to identify which events should be investigated?
B) Who is to blame for a disease outbreak?
C) What shelters will be used and by whom?
D) How political action will be necessary to ensure public health?

Accepted Answer

Collaboration on implementing a quality surveillance system often involves sharing technical knowledge such as the use of algorithms to identify significant events for investigation, focusing on improving detection and response rather than assigning blame or discussing political actions and shelter logistics.

Question 13

A nurse is conducting disease surveillance. Which of the following describes the goal for this action?
A) Eradicating a disease before it starts
B) Establishing a baseline rate of disease occurrence
C) Targeting populations for triage
D) Reducing the incidence of heart disease in a community

Accepted Answer

Establishing a baseline rate of disease occurrence is a primary goal of disease surveillance. This allows for the monitoring of disease trends over time, detection of outbreaks, and evaluation of intervention effectiveness.

Question 14

A nurse collecting morbidity data would refer to which source for applicable information?
A) Vital statistics reports
B) Birth records
C) Death certificates
D) Specialized disease registries

Accepted Answer

Specialized disease registries are specifically designed to collect data on the incidence and prevalence of particular diseases, making them a primary source for morbidity data.

Question 15

What does each state do with the information that it receives about notifiable diseases?
A) Utilizes the information for surveillance purposes.
B) Reports the information to the local branch of the World Health Organization (WHO).
C) Transmits the data electronically, weekly, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
D) Stores the information for state use only.

Accepted Answer

The answer of What does each state do with the...

Question 16

A college student goes to the Student Health Center with an extremely swollen neck where the advanced practice nurse diagnoses the mumps. The student reports that a roommate also is experiencing malaise and a sore throat. Which of the following defines these two students?
A) Mixed outbreak
B) Common source
C) Point source
D) Propagated outbreak

Accepted Answer

The answer of A college student goes to the Student...

Question 17

What occurs during an act of biological terrorism?
A) The intentional release of hazardous chemicals into the environment
B) Environmental and occupational exposure to biological toxins
C) Immunity to toxins related to repeated exposures
D) An intentional release of viruses, bacteria, or other toxins

Accepted Answer

Biological terrorism involves the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, or other germs or toxins to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants.

Question 18

Which is a feature of public health surveillance?
A) Sharing of the results with others
B) Defining public health policy
C) Evaluating interventions
D) Planning national programs

Accepted Answer

Public health surveillance involves the systematic collection, analysis, and dissemination of health data to inform public health action, which includes sharing the results with others.

Question 19

What information is included in a case definition?
A) The precise point of contact
B) Laboratory confirmation
C) Source of contamination
D) Clinical symptoms

Accepted Answer

A case definition typically includes clinical symptoms to identify and classify cases consistently.

Question 20

Which problem does a health department usually have the legal authority to investigate?
A) Pandemics
B) Unusual clusters of illness
C) World trends of disease
D) Cases of the common cold and pneumonia

Accepted Answer

A health department usually has the legal authority to investigate unusual clusters of illness because they may indicate an outbreak of a disease that could pose a threat to public health.

Quiz 22: Public Health Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation

A nurse practitioner reports a case of gonorrhea to the local health department. Which type of surveillance system is being used?

A person recently returning from overseas is diagnosed with Q fever. Which of the following must occur?

A nurse is using surveillance to collect outcome data. What information would most likely be collected?

A hospital is using surveillance. Which of the following describes the rationale for this action?

A nurse is applying the steps of surveillance from the Minnesota Model of Public Health Interventions book. Which of the following describes the initial action that the nurse would take?

A nurse is completing a disease investigation. Based on the clinical symptoms presented, it is assumed that the individual has measles. However, there has been no laboratory evidence documenting that this individual has the disease. Which of the following types of cases is the nurse investigating?

A large amount of data related to hypertension rates in a community is collected and analyzed. What is the next step in the surveillance process?

A public health nurse (PHN) is investigating an outbreak of salmonellosis in a community. Which type of surveillance system is being used?

A community coalition monitors the increasing obesity rate of children in their schools. Based on this data, they consider a variety of programming options which may possibly help decrease this trend. What was the purpose of conducting this surveillance?

The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak was an epidemic that spread over several countries. Which of the following terms describes what happened?

What was the purpose of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) creating the first list of standard case definitions for notifiable diseases?

What information is shared among agencies when they collaborate to implement a quality surveillance system?

A nurse is conducting disease surveillance. Which of the following describes the goal for this action?

A nurse collecting morbidity data would refer to which source for applicable information?

What does each state do with the information that it receives about notifiable diseases?

A college student goes to the Student Health Center with an extremely swollen neck where the advanced practice nurse diagnoses the mumps. The student reports that a roommate also is experiencing malaise and a sore throat. Which of the following defines these two students?

What occurs during an act of biological terrorism?

Which is a feature of public health surveillance?

What information is included in a case definition?

Which problem does a health department usually have the legal authority to investigate?