Leadership Chapter 9
Which activity is associated with a leadership role in time management? a. Assisting followers in working cooperatively to maximize time use b. Prioritizing day-to-day planning to meet short-term and long-term unit goals c. Building time for time management planning into the work schedule d. Utilizing technology to facilitate timely communication and documentation
ANS: A Feedback: A leadership role is to assist followers in working cooperatively to maximize time use. Management functions include prioritizing day-to-day planning to meet short-term and long-term unit goals, building time for planning into the work schedule,
A nurse-manager makes lists of tasks for each day. What should the manager do in order to ensure that lists accurately reflect changes in priorities? a. Reevaluate the lists on a regular basis and adjust them as needed. b. Ensure that each day's list is significantly different from the previous day's list. c. Make lists as detailed as possible in terms of the time allocated and the specifics of each task. d. Have the lists reviewed by a trusted colleague on a regular basis.
ANS: A Feedback: Evaluating and reprioritizing are vital aspects of time management. There is no obvious benefit in aiming to make lists different from other days' lists. Increased detail can help with time management, but this does not help the manager adjust time and tasks as needed. Similarly, review by a colleague does not mean that the manager's planning will respond to short-term changes.
What is the reason that first- and middle-level managers experience more interruptions than higher level managers? a. They generally interact directly with a greater number of individuals in daily planning. b. They seldom have the clerical and secretarial help assigned to higher level managers. c. They often lack the time management skills that more experienced managers possess. d. They generally have heavier workloads than higher level managers.
ANS: A Feedback: Frequent interruptions are common for first- and middle-level managers, who have a larger number of direct reports than do higher level managers. Clerical support does not necessarily prevent interruptions. Time management skills increase efficiency, but these do not prevent interruptions for coworkers and subordinates. Workloads vary widely, and lower level managers do not always have heavier workloads than upper level managers.
What is the primary reason for documenting nursing interventions as soon as possible after an activity is completed? a. Decreasing the risk of inaccurate documentation b. Implementing effective time management skills c. Demonstrating professional nursing behavior d. Observing an established nursing principle
ANS: A Feedback: It is important to document nursing interventions as soon as possible after an activity is completed. Waiting until the end of the workday to complete necessary documentation increases the risk of inaccuracies and incomplete documentation. It is true that this is an established nursing principle and that it shows professionalism and good time management, but the primary rationale is client safety.
The nurse-manager of a hospital unit has categorized some tasks in the "do now" category. The tasks most likely reflect: a. the unit's day-to-day operational needs. b. issues related to long-term goals. c. large, time-consuming tasks. d. problems that cannot be safely delegated.
ANS: A Feedback: The "do now" requests most commonly reflect a unit's day-to-day operational needs. These "do now" requests may or may not be related to long-term goals or require large amounts of time. The fact that a task can be safely delegated, or not delegated, has little to do with its priority.
Time management can be reduced to cyclic steps that include which of the following? Select all that apply. a. Allow time for planning and establish priorities. b. Complete tasks according to their difficulty, from easiest to most difficult. c. Complete the highest priority task, and whenever possible, finish one task before beginning another. d. Reprioritize based on remaining tasks and new information that may have been received. e. Divide each day into 1-hour blocks.
ANS: A, C, D Feedback: Time management can be reduced to three cyclic steps: (a) allow time for planning and establish priorities; (b) complete the highest priority task, and whenever possible, finish one task before beginning another; and (c) reprioritize based on remaining tasks and new information that may have been received. It is often necessary to divide days into blocks that are much smaller than 1 hour. Sequencing is based on priority, not ease or difficulty of completion.
A nurse-manager admits to feeling frustrated and confused by the fact that each day "just slips away," leaving many important tasks undone. How should this manager begin develop better time management skills? a. Identify a mentor who can plan the manager's schedule. b. Complete a time inventory to identify how time is used. c. Experiment with adjustments to the daily schedule. d. Request a temporary reduction in workload.
ANS: B Feedback: A time inventory provides objective data that can be used to inform changes in the manager's behavior. It is unrealistic to expect a mentor to plan the manager's schedule, and this action would not improve the manager's ability to self-manage time. Adjustments should not be made without the necessary data from a time inventory. A reduction in workload will not improve the manager's time management skills.
A nurse-manager has recognized that unproductive socialization is making it difficult to complete each day's tasks. What action should the manager take to prevent this cause of inefficiency? a. Maintain an open-door policy so employees can have more rapid interactions with the manager. b. Schedule appointments so that interactions can be predicted and controlled. c. Request a transfer to a site where the manager knows fewer coworkers and employees. d. Ban socialization on the unit during working hours.
ANS: B Feedback: Appointments will discourage unproductive socialization since time will be allotted and a schedule maintained. Open-door policies and impromptu meetings encourage socialization. Requesting a transfer would be an extreme measure that should be reserved for more entrenched or unsolvable problems. An outright ban on socialization is excessive and likely to cause resentment.
A nurse-manager is having difficulty finishing the necessary tasks for each day. When implementing the time management process, what should the manager do first? a. Complete the highest priority task. b. Allow enough time for sufficient daily planning. c. Reprioritize based on new information received. d. Delegate work that cannot be accomplished in a day.
ANS: B Feedback: Daily planning is essential if the manager is to manage by efficiency rather than by crisis. Delegation, completion of tasks, and reprioritizing on the basis of new information are steps that occur after planning.
A nurse-manager is beginning a day and is responsible for completing numerous tasks, including one high-priority task, three medium-priority tasks, and several lower priority tasks. How should the manager plan the day? a. Complete some low-priority tasks first to make room for focusing on the high-priority task. b. Complete the high-priority task as early in the day as possible. c. Arrange the tasks according to the amount of time that they will require. d. Complete the low-priority tasks first, then a medium-priority task, and then focus exclusively on the high-priority task.
ANS: B Feedback: Finishing high-priority tasks first is an essential step in personal time management. Any option that does not focus first on the high-priority task is inaccurate.
Which statement identifies a common mistake made related to daily planning? a. "Crises always come up so my plan is always changing." b. "I always handle each client's needs as they arise." c. "Sometimes it's difficult to reserve time for daily planning." d. "Client care requires a lot of reassessment by nursing."
ANS: B Feedback: If a nurse is sequencing his or her work solely on the basis of when issues emerge, this suggests that the nurse is not taking time to prioritize tasks in terms of their importance. Essentially, tasks are completed in a random sequence based only on when the nurse became aware of the client need. The other listed statements reflect thoughtful planning and flexibility, which are important skills.
What is the best response for a nurse-manager to handle someone who has a pattern of lengthy chatter? a. "We'll need to make it brief since my schedule is tight today." b. "I can't speak with you now, but I'm going to have free time at 11 AM." c. "Stop by and we can talk during your lunch break." d. "I am sorry but I do not have anytime today to talk with you."
ANS: B Feedback: If someone has a pattern of lengthy chatter and manages to corner you on rounds or at the nurse's station, say, "I can't speak with you now, but I'm going to have some free time at 11 AM. Why don't you see me then?" Unless the meeting is important, the person who just wishes to chat will not bother to make a formal appointment. If you would like to chat and have the time to do so, use coffee breaks and lunch hours for socializing.
Which statement about time management is true? a. Most people have an accurate perception of the time they spend on a particular task or the total amount of time they are productive during the day. b. Nurses with clearly identified personal goals and priorities have greater control over how they spend their time. c. Writing goals down is not usually necessary if the goals are limited to fewer than five in number. d. Keeping a time inventory for a day will allow the manager to identify a time management pattern.
ANS: B Feedback: Nurses who are self-aware and have clearly identified personal goals and priorities have greater control over how they spend their time. Most people have misperceptions about how they spend their time. Writing down goals is always necessary and creating an accurate time inventory requires more than 1 day.
A nurse-manager is reviewing a backlog of correspondence and reads an e-mail asking for feedback from a manufacturer about a piece of equipment that is used at the facility. The manager reads that the sender asked for all feedback to be submitted by the end of last week. In what category of prioritizing should this task be placed? abirb.com/test a. Squeaky wheel b. Don't do c. Do later d. Do now
ANS: B Feedback: One simple means of prioritizing what needs to be accomplished is to divide all requests into three categories: "don't do," "do later," and "do now." The "don't do" items reflect problems that will take care of themselves, are already outdated, or are better accomplished by someone else. In this case, this is a task that is outdated because the deadline for feedback has passed. Doing it now (or later) is ultimately a waste of time at this point.
A manager has identified the need to spend more time planning in order to accomplished each day's tasks. When should the manager do this planning? a. Whenever a block of time is available b. At the beginning of each day c. In the middle of the day, after high-priority tasks have been completed d. At the end of the day, in preparation for the next day
ANS: B Feedback: Setting aside time at the beginning of each day to plan the day allows the manager to spend appropriate time on high-priority tasks. This proactive approach is preferable to planning in the middle of the day. Taking an ad hoc approach will not likely result in consistent planning. The manager may be too fatigued to plan the next day's work at the end of a busy work day.
A nurse-manager is prioritizing tasks. Which tasks should the manager put into the "do now" category? a. Adding follow-up comments to an incident report from the previous day b. Covering sick calls for the upcoming shift to ensure there are enough nurses c. Conducting a new employee's initial performance review d. Meeting with the chairperson of the hospital's strategic planning committee
ANS: B Feedback: Short-term staffing needs are a priority because this has direct implications for client safety. Following up an incident report, meeting with a committee, and providing performance reviews are actions that are necessary but less time-dependent and with less direct implications for safety.
A manager is trying to get in the habit of creating a daily list of tasks. The manager should: a. avoid changing the list once initial planning is completed. b. include flexibility in the implementation of the list. c. include all relevant short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. d. keep the list highly structured, thus decreasing the possibility of procrastination.
ANS: B Feedback: The daily list should be flexible, changeable, leave some time for the unexpected, and include appropriate short-term goals.
Which task should the team leader perform first when planning care for a group of clients? a. Plan so that each client on the team receives equal amounts of nursing care. b. Prioritize the amount and type of nursing care each client requires. c. Identify the staff who will comprise the individual care teams. d. Assign clients to the specific nursing teams.
ANS: B abirb.com/test Feedback: Prioritizing the care each client will require is the initial step in care planning. The other options are considered, but implementation will happen after the prioritizing.
Which statements demonstrate adherence to habits that supports good personal time management skills? Select all that apply. a. "It's important to me to be professional." b. "I'm learning to trust the members of my team." abirb.com/test c. "I've learned that I'm most energetic in the morning." d. "I'll adjust my sleep schedule now that I'm on night shift." e. "I never quit a task that I've decided to do."
ANS: B, C, D Feedback: Habits that foster good time management include favoring trusting relationships and listening to biorhythms. Professionalism is an important attribute of good managers, but this does not related directly to personal time management. Having the wisdom to quit tasks that are unimportant or futile is important to time management.
A novice nurse-manager is frequently late for appointments. This manager's colleagues are likely to have what perception of the manager? a. The manager is overworked with too many responsibilities. b. The manager needs additional management training. c. The manager does not value other people's time. d. The manager lacks the skill necessary for the job.
ANS: C Feedback: A lack of punctuality suggests that one does not value other people's time. Chronic lateness is likely to cause resentment among colleagues, not a recognition of the manager's needs for more support.
A nurse-manager is responsible for implementing a large and complex plan that will require much time and effort. How should the manager address this large task? a. Work on the task with few breaks in order to finish as quickly as possible. b. Delegate as much of the task as possible to employees and focus on evaluation. c. Break the task into smaller, less intimidating units. d. Delay beginning the task until it has the manager's undivided attention.
ANS: C Feedback: Breaking down a task, or chunking, prevents the person from becoming overwhelmed by the size of the task. Working with few breaks may lead to exhaustion and compromise the quality of outcomes. Delegation is appropriate, but it is not usually appropriate to delegate all of a large task and to focus solely on evaluation instead of execution. Managers often need to work on several tasks simultaneously and cannot always wait until they can devote their undivided attention.
A unit manager has been instructed to complete a comprehensive audit of the unit's use of resources. The manager is daunted by the size of the task, which will likely take several weeks to complete. The manager should: a. set aside low- and medium-priority tasks until the project is complete. b. delegate the project to subordinates and ask for weekly updates. c. divide the project into smaller components that can be more easily completed. d. request clerical or secretarial assistance.
ANS: C Feedback: Breaking up large projects into smaller pieces makes them much easier to accomplish and prevents procrastination. Delegation is often appropriate and efficient, but it would normally be inappropriate to delegate the entirety of a large project to subordinates. The manager must not neglect other tasks, even when there is a major project at hand. Secretarial support may provide some assistance with a larger project, but it is not likely to be the major determinant of success.
The nurse-manager is creating a list in order to promote efficiency and productivity. What is the manager's best action? a. Use long-term goals as the framework for creating the list. b. Include slightly more activities than can be completed in a day, in order to motivate. c. Begin by ranking the priority of tasks that need to be accomplished. d. Keep each day's list as similar as possible to each other day's lists.
ANS: C Feedback: Lists must be based on the relative priority of tasks. Lists generally focus on short-term priorities more than longer term goals. The list should not be longer than what can be realistically accomplished in 1 day; otherwise, it demotivates instead of assists. There is no particular benefit to keeping each day's list similar to every other days.
A leader-manager has recognized the need to be more consistent with time management? What skill should the nurse develop in order to facilitate time management? a. Enlisting the help of an administrative assistant b. Recognizing the need for goal setting c. Prioritizing tasks accurately d. Handling emergency situations quickly
ANS: C Feedback: Priority setting is perhaps the most critical skill in time management because all actions taken are some type of relative importance. It is very possible for a manager to set goals but then fail to manage his or her time. A person's ability to handle emergencies does not necessarily indicate his or her ability to manage time on a day-to-day basis. An administrative assistant can be a valuable asset but does not facilitate the manager's own time management skills.
How should the nurse-manager most effectively deal with the ever-changing nature of the nursing work environment? a. Evaluating the management skills of the nursing team leaders b. Providing time management classes for staff members c. Frequently reassessing personally established priorities d. Encouraging staff to engage in daily planning
ANS: C Feedback: Setting new priorities or adjusting priorities to reflect ever-changing work situations is an ongoing reality for the unit manager. Although the other options are appropriate, they are not directed to the management role in dealing with the ever-changing nature of the environment of nursing.
The nurse-manager is frustrated by the quantity of paper clutter. How should the manager best deal with this time waster? a. Require face-to-face communication between staff members rather than written documentation. b. Set aside a block of time once per week to process documents. c. Deal with paper correspondence as soon as possible after it arrives. d. Place additional recycling and trash receptacles throughout the unit.
ANS: C Feedback: Whenever possible, incoming correspondence should be handled the day it arrives. It should either be thrown away or filed according to the date to be completed. Letting it accumulate for a week at a time may make the problem worse, not better. Many forms of written documentation cannot be replaced by face-to-face conversation. Providing more waste receptacles will not help the manager process paperwork, which cannot normally be discarded without being addressed.
How can subordinates be discouraged from taking up a nursing manager's time unproductively? Select all that apply. a. Having the manager be accessible in the nursing station b. Instituting an open-door policy c. Having limited office seating available d. Refocusing conversations as needed e. Work in a public area
ANS: C, D abirb.com/test Feedback: Productivity can be enhanced by refocusing conversations that are taking too long and limiting the amount of office seating so that subordinates do not "settle in." Working in a public area is likely to invite interruptions. An open-door policy promotes collaboration but can harm productivity.
A nurse-manager has set a goal of addressing external time wasters. What phenomenon should the manager address? a. Difficulty in setting clear, achievable objectives b. The manager's inability to say no to coworkers' and subordinates' requests c. The fact that the manager has a tendency to procrastinate d. The large quantity of paperwork that the manager must complete
ANS: D Feedback: Excessive paperwork is an external time waster; the other characteristics are internal time wasters created by the manager himself or herself.
A nurse-manager is having an exceptionally busy day and tells a colleague, "There's no way I can take a lunch break today. I've got too much to do." What is the colleague's best response? a. "It's important to take breaks, so there's never any valid reason for skipping lunch." b. "I know that happens sometimes. Let me know if you need help with organizing your day." c. "You probably just need to reorganize your day. Do you need help with that?" d. "Let's take a quick break and get something to eat, even if we have to come back a bit early."
ANS: D Feedback: Whenever possible, the manager should take breaks in order to recharge and be more focused and efficient. Even so, there may be days where it is an impossibility. The colleague should encourage the manager to take a break, if possible, and even if it is shorter than usual. Often a day is exceptionally busy, no matter how well it is organized.
A nurse-manager set a goal early in the year take better control of time management. Upon achieving this goal, the manager is likely to experience what benefits? Select all that apply. a. Increased learning b. Increased influence on coworkers c. Increased knowledge d. Enhanced productivity e. Decreased stress
ANS: D, E Feedback: Managing time appropriately reduces stress and increases productivity. However, a manager is unlikely see a direct relationship between time management and increased knowledge, influence, and learning.