CELBAN - Canadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses Listening to Patient Dialogues Questions and Answers 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: You overhear a nurse giving discharge instructions to a patient who had knee surgery. The nurse says, 'Take one tablet of the pain medication every six hours as needed for pain. The antibiotic is different; you must take one tablet every eight hours, even if you feel fine, until the bottle is empty.' What is the most critical instruction regarding the antibiotic?
- It should be taken only when the patient feels pain.
- The full course must be completed, regardless of symptoms. (Correct answer)
- It should be taken every six hours with the pain medication.
- The patient can stop taking it once the knee feels better.
Correct answer: The full course must be completed, regardless of symptoms.
The correct answer is that the full course of antibiotics must be completed. The nurse explicitly states to take it 'until the bottle is empty' and 'even if you feel fine,' which emphasizes the importance of completing the entire prescribed course to prevent infection, a standard nursing instruction.
Question 2: In a dialogue, a patient tells the nurse, 'My head is pounding, the lights are bothering my eyes, and I feel like I'm going to be sick.' Which of the following is the most accurate summary of the patient's primary symptoms?
- Nausea and fever.
- General fatigue and dizziness.
- Headache, photosensitivity, and nausea. (Correct answer)
- Blurred vision and stomach cramps.
Correct answer: Headache, photosensitivity, and nausea.
The patient's statements directly correspond to the medical terms for the symptoms listed. 'My head is pounding' is a headache, 'the lights are bothering my eyes' is photosensitivity, and 'I feel like I'm going to be sick' indicates nausea. The other options include symptoms not mentioned by the patient.
Question 3: You are listening to a conversation between a nurse and an elderly patient who is hard of hearing. The nurse says, 'Mr. Smith, I'm going to say this a bit louder for you. It's time to take your blood pressure medication. It's the small, blue pill.' What is the main purpose of the nurse's communication style?
- To rush the patient into taking his medication.
- To show frustration with the patient's hearing loss.
- To provide a detailed chemical breakdown of the drug.
- To adapt her communication to overcome the patient's hearing barrier. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: To adapt her communication to overcome the patient's hearing barrier.
The nurse clearly modifies her communication by speaking louder and simplifying the instruction to identify the pill ('the small, blue pill'). This demonstrates an adaptation to the patient's specific need (hearing impairment) to ensure the message is understood correctly and safely.
Question 4: A patient is speaking to a nurse on the phone, describing a rash. The patient says, 'It started on my arms, but now I see a few spots on my chest. It's not really itchy, but it looks quite red and blotchy.' What should the nurse clarify next?
- If the patient has taken a new medication recently. (Correct answer)
- What the patient's current body temperature is.
- Whether the patient has health insurance.
- If the patient has eaten any unusual foods.
Correct answer: If the patient has taken a new medication recently.
Given the description of a new rash spreading on the body, a common and important cause to investigate is an allergic reaction to a new medication. This is a priority question for patient safety. While the other questions might be relevant eventually, identifying a potential drug allergy is most critical.
Question 5: During a shift-change report, the outgoing nurse describes a patient as 'a bit anxious' and reports that the patient's family 'has been calling frequently.' What is the primary purpose of conveying this information to the incoming nurse?
- To complain about the patient's family.
- To suggest the patient is ready for discharge.
- To prepare the nurse for the patient's psychosocial and emotional needs. (Correct answer)
- To indicate that the patient's physical condition has worsened.
Correct answer: To prepare the nurse for the patient's psychosocial and emotional needs.
Reporting on a patient's anxiety and frequent family calls provides important context about the patient's emotional state and family dynamics. This allows the incoming nurse to be prepared to offer psychosocial support, manage family communication, and provide holistic care beyond just the physical symptoms.
Question 6: Which of the following is the most effective strategy when taking the CELBAN Listening test, given that audio clips are played only once?
- Wait until the entire dialogue is finished before answering any questions.
- Focus only on listening and ignore the questions until the audio stops.
- Try to write down every single word the speaker says.
- Read the questions beforehand and select answers as you hear the relevant information. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Read the questions beforehand and select answers as you hear the relevant information.
Because the audio is only played once, it is crucial to multitask. Test-takers are given time to pre-read the questions. This allows them to listen for specific information and select the correct answer as soon as they hear it, which is the most efficient and recommended strategy for the CELBAN Listening section.
