CPPS Practice Exam Questions and

CPPS Practice Exam Questions and Answer

Question : The Board of Hospital A wants to know how

Hospital A's safety performance in central line associated blood stream infection (CLABSI) compares to that of other hospitals in their region. Which data display would best inform them for that decision?

• Control charts of overall infection rate by quarter for the

past two years for each hospital in the region

• A table indicating the CLABSI infection rates of all

hospitals in the region relative to the National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark for CLABSI infections for the past 2 years

• A written report summarizing the current CLABSI

prevention protocols of each hospital in the region

• A table showing the number of CLABSI infections in each

hospital in the region by quarter for the past 2 years

Correct answer: b. A table indicating the CLABSI infection

rates of all hospitals in the region relative to the National Healthcare Safety Network benchmark for CLABSI infections for the past 2 years

Question : The instrument count is incorrect at the conclusion

of a surgical procedure. The hospital policy does not stipulate that the surgeon remain on the premises until an x-ray is obtained. The surgeon leaves the hospital to catch a flight.The x-ray reveals a retained instrument. Another surgeon is contacted to remove the retained instrument. What should leadership do next?

• Create a process map of how instruments are managed

during surgery looking for latent flaws

• Revise the hospital policy to make it clear that surgeons

must stay in the OR until instrument count issues are resolved

• Counsel the surgeon about customary clinical standards for

a surgeon using appropriate accountability system

• Reeducate the OR nursing staff on keeping track of

instruments on the sterile field

Correct answer: a. Create a process map of how instruments

are managed during surgery looking for latent flaws

Question : A known barrier to patient safety is staff not

speaking up when they are concerned or if they see safety violations. You would help foster a culture that supports

speaking up by:

• Putting up posters around the organization that reinforce

speaking up as a safety strategy

• Using culture of safety data to assist low performing

departments with defining strategies for improvement

• Using tends in event reporting to identify staff who don't

speak up

• Re-educating management on the use of Just Culture

principles

Correct answer: b. Using culture of safety data to assist low

performing departments with defining strategies for improvement

Question : A new cath lab is under construction in our

hospital, and the medical director contacts you to express concerns related to the transport of patients from the cath lab to the ICU. You agree to assist in the design of an FMEA.

Components of the FMEA will include:

• Assembling a multidisplinary team whose members will

brainstorm potential failures

• Conducting the 5 "whys" to figure out what could go

wrong

• Listing potential root causes of adverse events in the

current cath lab

• Asking the medical director to participate in leadership

rounds in the current cath lab to identify potential safety risks

Correct answer: a. Assembling a multidisplinary team whose

members will brainstorm potential failures

Question : A new medication administrative safety process

was implemented in a hospital. A team convened to perform a failure mode effects analysis and calculate a risk priority number (RPN). After a targeted medication safety program on the new process was delivered to nurses, the same team convened to perform another FMEA. The team would be

happy to see:

• The detectability increased and RPNs were lower
• The detectability decreased and RPNs were lower
• The frequency numbers decreased and RPNs were higher
• The frequency numbers increased and RPNs were lower

Correct answer: a. The detectability increased and RPNs were

lower