Nursing Professional Development Certification (NPD-BC) Practice Exam

Which of the following is NOT a functional area in the hospital incident command system?

1. Hazards

2. Logistics

3. Operations

4. Planning

The correct answer is: Hazards

In a hospital incident command system, the primary functional areas are designed to coordinate emergency response effectively. These include Logistics, Operations, and Planning, which each play a pivotal role in managing resources, implementing action plans, and strategizing for ongoing needs during an incident. Logistics focuses on the supply chain, such as coordinating the acquisition and distribution of necessary supplies and materials. Operations is responsible for the actual implementation of response plans, managing on-ground activities to mitigate the incident's impact. Planning involves developing strategies and making assessments to guide the response efforts. The designation of hazards does not represent a functional area within the incident command system. Rather, it is typically part of the broader situational assessment process, which would fall under the purview of planning or operations. Thus, identifying hazards is a crucial step in response planning, but it is not categorized as a standalone functional area like the others listed.