PRO-CPPS

Final check — CPPS — Certified Professional in Patient Safety (Exam-Prep)

Answer the 45 questions. You need 80% or more to pass. You can retry as many times as you like.

Question 1The CPPS credential is administered by which body?The American Medical AssociationThe World Health OrganizationThe Certification Board for Professionals in Patient Safety (CBPPS) at IHIThe Joint Commission

Question 2Roughly how is the CPPS exam distributed across its five domains?Almost entirely on medication safetyHalf on leadership, half on cultureApproximately one-fifth in each of the five domainsOnly two domains are tested

Question 3The central premise of modern patient safety is that most harm results from:Poorly designed systems and processesCareless or incompetent individualsPatients not following instructionsRandom bad luck that cannot be reduced

Question 4An event that reaches the patient but causes no harm is best described as a:Sentinel eventNear missAdverse eventNever event

Question 5Under just culture, an employee who made a simple, unintentional human error (a slip) should be:Disciplined to deter othersPublicly named as a learning exampleSuspended pending investigationConsoled, while the system is fixed

Question 6In just culture, conscious disregard of a substantial and unjustifiable risk is:Human error — consoleReckless behaviour — disciplineAt-risk behaviour — coachAlways excused if the outcome was good

Question 7At-risk behaviour (a drift into unsafe shortcuts where risk isn't recognised) is best addressed by:Coaching and removing the incentive to cut cornersTerminationIgnoring itMandatory written warning

Question 8Which validated tool measures patient safety culture?The Global Trigger ToolA fishbone diagramThe AHRQ Surveys on Patient Safety Culture (SOPS)A control chart

Question 9In Reason's Swiss-cheese model, dormant weaknesses built into the system (e.g. understaffing, poor design) are called:Active failuresSentinel eventsLatent failuresForcing functions

Question 10The 'sharp end' of care refers to:Senior managers and policy-makersEquipment manufacturersThe hospital boardFront-line staff in direct contact with patients

Question 11Which of these is the STRONGEST type of corrective action?Re-educating staffSending a reminder emailA forcing function that makes the error physically impossibleWriting a new policy

Question 12A connector designed so an oxygen line cannot be plugged into a nitrogen outlet is an example of a:Forcing function/constraintChecklistStandard operating procedureTraining intervention

Question 13Which set best describes the five principles of a high-reliability organisation?Speed, cost, volume, marketing, growthPreoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, deference to expertisePlan, Do, Study, Act, RepeatSeverity, Occurrence, Detection, Likelihood, Impact

Question 14'Deference to expertise' in an HRO means:The highest-ranking person always decidesDecisions are made by committee voteOnly physicians may make safety decisionsDecisions migrate to whoever has the most relevant knowledge, regardless of rank

Question 15A root cause analysis (RCA2) is primarily a ____ process, while an FMEA is primarily a ____ process.proactive; reactivevoluntary; mandatoryfinancial; clinicalreactive; proactive

Question 16In an FMEA, the Risk Priority Number (RPN) is calculated as:Severity + Occurrence + DetectionLikelihood ÷ SeveritySeverity × Occurrence × DetectionOccurrence − Detection

Question 17The defining 'second A' that RCA2 adds beyond traditional RCA is:Action (strong, implemented corrective actions)AssessmentAuditApology

Question 18An RCA whose only recommended actions are 're-educate staff' and 'remind everyone to be careful' is considered:A model RCAWeak, because those are the least effective actionsIdeal because it is low-costComplete and requires no follow-up

Question 19Which tool is BEST suited to proactively assess risk in a brand-new process that has not yet caused harm?Root cause analysisA sentinel event reviewA patient satisfaction surveyFailure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

Question 20Incidence measures ____ , whereas prevalence measures ____ .existing cases at a point in time; new cases over a periodnew cases over a period; existing cases at a point in timecosts; benefitsdeaths; recoveries

Question 21The IHI Global Trigger Tool is used to:Survey staff attitudesDetect adverse events through structured chart review that voluntary reports missCalculate hospital revenueSchedule operating rooms

Question 22Variation that is the normal, inherent 'noise' of a stable process is called:Special-cause variationTamperingSentinel variationCommon-cause variation

Question 23Reacting to every up-and-down of common-cause variation, as if each were meaningful, is called:ImprovementTampering, which usually worsens performanceControlStandardisation

Question 24A measure that checks whether a change caused unintended harm elsewhere is a:Balancing measureProcess measureOutcome measureStructural measure

Question 25The three questions of the Model for Improvement ask about the aim, the measures, and:the budgetthe change ideas to testthe staffing planthe marketing strategy

Question 26PDSA stands for:Plan, Deliver, Standardise, AdoptPrepare, Discuss, Solve, AuditPredict, Design, Survey, AssessPlan, Do, Study, Act

Question 27The recommended way to begin a PDSA test of a new checklist is to:Mandate it hospital-wide on day oneTest it small and fast — e.g. one nurse, one shift — then scaleWait a year and study it with a randomised trialAdd it to policy without testing

Question 28Lean methodology focuses primarily on eliminating ____ , while Six Sigma focuses primarily on reducing ____ .waste; variation/defectsvariation; wastecost; staffreports; audits

Question 29The Six Sigma improvement roadmap DMAIC stands for:Detect, Manage, Assess, Iterate, ConfirmDesign, Make, Audit, Inspect, CloseDecide, Monitor, Act, Implement, CheckDefine, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control

Question 30SBAR is a structured communication tool standing for:Situation, Background, Assessment, RecommendationSafety, Behaviour, Action, ReportingSurvey, Brief, Audit, ReviewSystem, Barrier, Analysis, Response

Question 31The point of care where communication failures most commonly cause harm is the:Annual budget meetingHandoff/transition of careMarketing campaignEquipment purchase

Question 32A 'read-back' (repeating a verbal order back to the sender for confirmation) is a:Form of punishmentClosed-loop communication technique that catches errorsViolation of policyDocumentation requirement only

Question 33TeamSTEPPS was developed by AHRQ together with the:World Health OrganizationJoint CommissionUS Department of DefenseAmerican Hospital Association

Question 34The four core TeamSTEPPS competencies are communication, leadership, mutual support and:marketingfinancial planningsituation monitoringcredentialing

Question 35The 'two-challenge rule' means that if a safety concern is dismissed once, the team member should:Voice it a second time, and escalate if still unheededDrop it immediatelyFile a grievanceLeave the room

Question 36The ethically and increasingly legally expected response after a patient is harmed by care is to:Conceal the event to avoid liabilityBlame and discipline the nearest staff memberDisclose honestly, apologise, support those involved and fix the systemWait until the family asks

Question 37The term 'second victim' refers to:The clinician traumatised by involvement in an adverse eventA second patient harmed by the same errorThe hospital's reputationA family member

Question 38Communication-and-Resolution Programs (CRPs) respond to harm by:Denying and defending in all casesImmediately settling without investigationProactive disclosure, apology, learning and fair resolutionReferring everything to litigation

Question 39Which medications are typically classified as 'high-alert'?Standard oral vitaminsTopical moisturisersOver-the-counter antacidsAnticoagulants, insulin, opioids and concentrated electrolytes

Question 40The most effective approach to preventing central-line and other healthcare-associated infections is:A single awareness posterDisciplining staff after each infectionReliable implementation of an evidence-based bundle with measured complianceReducing hand-hygiene audits

Question 41Medication reconciliation is most critical:At every transition of care (admission, transfer, discharge)Only on the day of dischargeOnce per hospital stayOnly for surgical patients

Question 42Engaging patients and families in safety (e.g. shared decisions, event reviews) is considered:A liability to avoidOnly for pediatric careOptional paperworkAn evidence-based strategy that reduces harm

Question 43The WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021-2030 envisions:A world in which no one is harmed in health careMaximising procedure volumeEliminating all medical recordsReplacing clinicians with automation

Question 44When two CPPS answer choices both seem reasonable, the better choice is usually the one that is:System-focused, proactive and consistent with just culturePerson-focused and punitiveCheapest to implementBased on a single anecdote

Question 45A rising number of safety reports after a culture-improvement initiative most likely indicates:Care has become more dangerousReports should be discouragedThe reporting system is brokenStaff now trust the system enough to report

Final check — CPPS — Certified Professional in Patient Safety (Exam-Prep)

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