PNC Licensing Examination Community Health and Public Health Nursing Syllabus

Differentiate isolation from quarantine.

Isolation = separation of INFECTED (sick) persons during the period of communicability. Quarantine = restriction of HEALTHY persons exposed to a communicable disease during the incubation period.

What is the incubation period?

The interval between entry of the infectious agent into the host and the appearance of the first signs or symptoms of the disease.

Name the diseases covered under Pakistan's EPI program.

Childhood TB, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal pneumonia, rotavirus diarrhea, and typhoid (plus measles-rubella).

What is the EPI immunization schedule at birth in Pakistan?

BCG (against TB), OPV-0 (oral polio vaccine zero dose), and Hepatitis B birth dose.

At what ages are pentavalent (DPT-HepB-Hib) doses given in the Pakistan EPI schedule?

Penta-1 at 6 weeks, Penta-2 at 10 weeks, and Penta-3 at 14 weeks, given with OPV and PCV at the same visits.

When is the measles vaccine given in Pakistan's EPI schedule?

Measles-1 at 9 months and Measles-2 at 15 months of age.

What is the recommended cold chain temperature range for storing EPI vaccines?

+2 C to +8 C at the health-facility refrigerator level (OPV may be kept frozen at central stores; never freeze DPT, HepB, or TT).

Which EPI vaccines must NOT be frozen?

Freeze-sensitive vaccines: DPT/pentavalent, Hepatitis B, TT/Td, PCV, and rotavirus (freezing destroys their potency).

List the categories of the F-diagram routes of fecal-oral disease transmission.

The 5 F's: Fingers, Flies, Fluids (water), Fields/Floors (soil), and Food, all leading from Feces to a new host.

What are the basic methods of water purification at household level?

Boiling, chlorination, filtration (sand/ceramic/cloth), and solar disinfection (SODIS); sedimentation removes suspended matter.

What chlorine residual is recommended for safe drinking water?

A free residual chlorine of 0.5 mg/L after 30 minutes of contact time at the point of delivery.

What does WASH stand for and why is it important?

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene. It prevents fecal-oral diseases (diarrhea, cholera, typhoid), worm infestations, and reduces child mortality.

List the categories used to segregate biomedical/hospital waste.

Infectious/clinical, sharps, pathological/anatomical, pharmaceutical, chemical, radioactive, and general (non-hazardous) waste.

What color-coded bins are commonly used for health-care waste segregation?

Yellow = infectious/pathological waste; Red = contaminated plastics/infectious; Puncture-proof safety box = sharps; Black = general/non-hazardous waste.

What is the preferred final treatment method for infectious health-care waste?

Incineration (high-temperature burning) or autoclaving/disinfection before safe disposal.

Classify occupational health hazards.

Physical (heat, noise, radiation), chemical (dusts, fumes, gases), biological (infections), mechanical (injuries), and psychosocial (stress) hazards.

Name common occupational lung diseases (pneumoconioses) and their causes.

Silicosis (silica dust), anthracosis/coal worker's lung (coal dust), asbestosis (asbestos), byssinosis (cotton dust), and bagassosis (sugarcane dust).

What is the hierarchy of controls for occupational hazards (most to least effective)?

Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

What is family health nursing?

Nursing care directed at the family as a unit, promoting and maintaining the health of the whole family through assessment, health education, and care of individual members in their home and community.

List the key components of antenatal (ANC) care.

At least 4-8 ANC visits, weight/BP check, abdominal exam, Hb and urine tests, two doses of tetanus toxoid (TT), iron-folic acid supplementation, and birth/danger-sign counseling.

What are the components of the GOBI-FFF child survival strategy?

Growth monitoring, Oral rehydration, Breastfeeding, Immunization, plus Female education, Family planning, and Food supplementation.

What is the standard WHO/ORS-based home management for diarrhea?

Give ORS (oral rehydration salts) to replace fluid loss, continue feeding/breastfeeding, give zinc supplements for 10-14 days, and refer if danger signs appear.

What is exclusive breastfeeding and for how long is it recommended?

Feeding the infant only breast milk (no water, other fluids, or foods) for the first 6 months of life, with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years alongside complementary foods.

State the formula for the maternal mortality ratio (MMR).

MMR = (Number of maternal deaths in a year / Number of live births in the same year) x 100,000.

State the formula for the infant mortality rate (IMR).

IMR = (Number of infant deaths under 1 year in a year / Number of live births in the same year) x 1000.

List common signs of protein-energy malnutrition (kwashiorkor vs marasmus).

Kwashiorkor = edema, moon face, skin/hair changes, fatty liver (protein deficiency). Marasmus = severe wasting, no edema, "old man" face (energy/calorie deficiency).

Describe the structure of the health-care delivery system in Pakistan.

Primary level: Basic Health Units (BHU) and Rural Health Centres (RHC). Secondary level: Tehsil (THQ) and District (DHQ) hospitals. Tertiary level: teaching/specialized hospitals.

What is the Lady Health Worker (LHW) program and its catchment population?

A community-based program where a trained female health worker serves about 1,000 people (roughly 150-200 households), providing PHC, family planning, immunization promotion, and health education at the doorstep.

List the phases of the disaster management cycle.

Mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery/rehabilitation.

In disaster triage, what do the colors red, yellow, green, and black mean?

Red = immediate/critical (treat first), Yellow = delayed (urgent but stable), Green = minor (walking wounded), Black = deceased/expectant (no survival expected).

List the key principles of effective health education.

Credibility, interest, participation, motivation, comprehension, reinforcement, learning by doing, good human relations, feedback, and leadership.