Leadership/Management in Nursing

Which of Gardner's tasks of leadership describes assisting the staff in interpreting organizational principles?

Affirming values Rationale: The task of affirming values describes leaders assisting the staff in interpreting organizational values. Managing is assisting the staff with planning, decision making, and priority setting. Motivating is inspiring the staff to achieve the organization's goals. Envisioning goals is visualizing client outcomes and creating a vision to support client care objectives.

Which action of the registered nurse (RN) represents his or her leadership ability?

Supervising the tasks assigned to unlicensed nursing personnel Rationale: The nurse as a leader should supervise the tasks assigned to unlicensed nursing personnel to ensure the client's safety. Pursuing higher professional courses can help in self-growth but does not indicate leadership. Performing home visits and modifying a diet chart indicates the role of the nurse.

The registered nurse is teaching a group of nursing students about leadership principles. Which statement made by a nursing student indicates the need for further teaching?

"A leader has a formal position." Rationale: A leader does not necessarily have a formal position to indicate that he or she is a leader; rather, leadership refers to the performance. Leaders are those medical professionals who can intervene with courage when needed. Leaders are also able to organize a group of colleagues to solve an organizational problem. A nursing medical professional becomes a leader after promotion.

A Hispanic nurse is celebrating a quinceañera for her 15-year-old daughter. What is the appropriate action of the culturally competent nurse manager?

Allow the nurse to take time off for this celebration. Rationale: The nurse who is celebrating this event for her daughter should have time to make plans and arrangements. The nurse manager should teach staff how cultural differences enrich all of us and make deliberate efforts to include them in their daily lives. The nurse manager should ask staff to value cultural rituals and accept various cultural practices and perspectives. Inviting staff on this occasion of the quinceañera is common, and the nurse manager should not discourage this.

Which actions can an effective mentor expect from an aspiring leader? Select all that apply.

Being loyal Assisting with projects Maintaining confidentiality Rationale: The mentor has a right to expect loyalty, respect, assistance with projects, and confidentiality from the aspiring leader. An effective mentor does not expect a fee or rewards and gives guidance to balance the professional and personal work of an aspiring leader.

How does a nurse leader effectively implement change in an organization?

By using personal and professional skills Rationale: A nurse leader should use both personal and professional skills to ensure effective implementation of a change in an organization. A nurse leader should also use managerial skills, not avoid them, to ensure effective implementation of a change in an organization. A nurse leader should give regular and timely feedback to the team members to implement change effectively. A nurse leader should motivate the team members to work effectively rather than removing them from the team.

What are the qualities of an effective leader? Select all that apply.

Elicit a vision from people Bring out the best in people Inspire people to bring the vision into reality Rationale: Leadership is the ability to elicit a vision from people and to inspire and empower those people to do what it takes to bring the vision into reality. A leadership quality is to bring out the best in people. Leaders are not born with the right stuff; rather they develop these qualities gradually over time when they perform with the right kind of attitude and determination. Leaders must possess the ability to inspire the commitment of followers and allow them to achieve goals autonomously rather than simply engendering discipline and obedience.

Which statement does the nurse recognize as true according to chaos theory?

Health-care organizations must be self-organizing.

What are the major issues identified by the nurse leader as reasons for increased union activity? Select all that apply

Low wages Mandatory overtime requirement Absence of reporting unsafe work environments Rationale: Low wages and poor benefits may lead to an increase in union activity. Mandatory overtime and work overload have led to increased union activity in nursing. The absence of procedures for reporting of unsafe work environments and poor quality of care may increase union activity. Inadequate staffing and unqualified caregivers may lead to increased union activity. Lack of professional autonomy and professional practice models may increase union activity.

Which behavior would the nurse consider suitable for an executive position according to Gardner's tasks of leading/managing?

To assist corporate leaders with planning and priority setting Rationale: According to Gardner's tasks of leading/managing, a behavior of the executive position is to assist corporate leaders with planning and priority setting. Leading inspires client/families to achieve their vision. A behavior of the management position is to inspire the staff to achieve the mission of the organization. A behavior of the clinical position is to ensure that the organizational systems work on the client's behalf.

Which internal factors affect the decision-making process of a leader? Select all that apply.

Values Interest Knowledge Rationale: Values, interests, and knowledge are the internal factors that affect the decision-making process of a leader. Time and resources are the external factors that affect decision making of a leader.

Under a leader, a team of followers has failed to achieve success in conducting research. What does an effective leader do in this situation?

Accepts failure and gains experience from it Rationale: An effective leader should accept the failure and gain experience from it to avoid repetition of the same errors. The effective leader should counsel and motivate the team members for future success and should not criticize them. Making excuses for the negative outcome is not the correct action of the effective leader. The effective leader should take responsibility for the failure and the growth he or she will gain from it.

Which action by the nurse leader is indicative of transactional leadership?

Motivating the self-interest of the employees by offering external rewards Rationale: Transactional leadership relies on the power of organizational position and formal authority to reward and punish performance. Therefore offering external rewards to motivate the self-interest of employees is a type of transactional leadership. The transformational leader can motivate employees by accounting for their needs and abilities individually. Encouraging the novel and innovative thinking of employees is a characteristic of transformational leadership. The transformational leader helps motivate employees by articulation of an inspirational vision.

Which action would a nurse leader specifically take to promote a health care climate where curiosity, reflection, and change are embraced?

Empowering staff to be life-long learners and risk takers Rationale: A nurse leader who empowers staff to be life-long learners and risk takers is promoting a health care environment where questioning the status quo, reflecting on processes and advocating for change when appropriate is welcome and encouraged. The nurse leader should serve as coach, maintain a good relationship with the team, and collaborate with the team to problem solve, but these actions are not specific to creating a culture of curiosity, reflection and change.

Which responsibility of the nurse manager differs from the responsibilities of a nurse leader?

Planning the budget Rationale: Budgeting is the responsibility of a nurse manager. The role of nurse leader is to motivate the nursing subordinates. Resolving conflicts is the responsibility of both the nurse leader and the nurse manager. Penalizing for poor performance is a behavior of transactional leadership.

What would the nurse state is a characteristic of an effective leader?

Problem-solving skills Rationale: Expertise in problem-solving skills is an effective leadership quality that is increased by risk-taking behaviors by the nurse leader. Adapting autocratic behavior may lead to ineffective leadership. A culture of zero tolerance for violence is an ineffective leadership strategy. Emphasis on consistent job performance is the characteristic of an effective manager.

Which model of ethics considers broad social issues and involves accountability to the overall institution?

Social justice model Rationale: The social justice model considers broad social issues and is accountable to the whole institution. An ethics committee follows the autonomy model to facilitate decision making for a competent client. The paternalistic model is a type of decision-making style in which the nurse manager decides what to do. The patient-benefit model is accountable in substituted judgment (asking the client caregivers what the client requires in this type of situation).