Exam 2
1. As a new nurse manager, you are aware of leadership, management, and followership principles. The concept of followership is rather new as relating to leadership. What is the role of the follower in followership? A) Leading the group in task B) Submission position in organization C) Person who may influence team D) Negative meaning for worker
ANS: C The principle of followership allows for the follower to have a role and say, and ability to provide influence to the team. Based on new principles of leading and following, the leader is a follower and needs those to further goals for the team at all levels.
A nurse is participating in a baccalaureate course. For the class, she has to attend the legislative session regarding the new role of medication assistants. Nurses should be involved in shaping public policy primarily because: a. Involvement will enable nurses to take over the healthcare system at some point in the future. b. Other healthcare professions are less concerned about the essential needs of clients. c. Such activities are important career builders for nurses who seek top-level executive positions. d. They are closest to the front line of health care and see how it affects clients and families.
D
During a unit meeting, you notice that Vivian listens attentively when Mary is speaking and offers support and advice when Mary presents ideas to the group. You are surprised because Vivian has often confided that she does not like Mary. Vivian's behavior is best described as: a. Insincere. b. Networking. c. Politically sophisticated. d. Collegial.
D
Lucy, head nurse on the surgical unit, works with her staff to find ways in which they can work together with other disciplines to provide more effective care for patients on the unit. Lucy likely knows her power is: a. Limited, thereby necessitating involvement of others in implementing ideas. b. Restricted, which necessitates finding alternative means to achieve strong patient outcomes. c. Directly primarily toward those who are subordinate to her. d. Of unlimited capacity when shared with others.
D
As a new manager in the ED, you meet with each of the staff to ask about their priorities and what they think is going well in the department or what is of concern to them. Almost all of the staff express frustration and distress at being treated rudely or disrespectfully by patients, staff from other departments, and physicians and complain that they feel that nurses in the ED are not valued. With the staff, you brainstorm to raise the profile of nurses. Which of the following strategies would be most effective? (Select all that apply.)
*Speaking positively about one's work *Dressing and grooming in a clean and neat manner *Using titles (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Ms.) and last names *Submitting a written complaint to senior *Developing a code of conduct for the ED staff.
A unit manager watches a new RN graduate interacting with a patient. When the RN comes out of the room, the unit manager says, "I don't know what they taught you in your nursing program, but if I see you do that again, I will write you up." This example demonstrates: a. Coercive use of power. b. Appropriate application of control. c. Use of informatory power. d. Use of power to provide coaching.
A
During orientation of new nurse managers, the chief nursing officer stresses strategies that help nurse managers to achieve a powerful image. Which groups of behaviors best contribute to a powerful image for the nurse manager? a. Greeting patients, families, and colleagues with a handshake and a smile; listening carefully when problems arise b. For men, no facial hair, always wearing a suit and tie; for women, always wearing a suit and high-heeled shoes c. Maintaining a soft voice during times of conflict; making unbroken eye contact during interactions d. Smiling all the time; always wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase; women should wear no jewelry
A
Literature on oppression in nursing has: a. Verified the presence of behaviors associated with oppression within nursing. b. Suggested that nurses are oppressed because of the actions of other groups. c. Failed to establish that oppression is present in nursing groups. d. Indicated that nurses use oppression negatively.
A
The workgroup on NU 23 is marked by apathy to the ward's patients, high absenteeism, open conflict among team members, and high turnover of personnel, including managers. The underlying behavior in this situation may be characterized as: a. Powerlessness. b. Anger. c. Apathy. d. Oppression.
A
"Stress-buffering" behaviors can be elicited to reduce stress. All of the following behavioral coping responses can be used by nurse managers to reduce and manage stress except: a. distancing oneself from work. b. using cognitive reframing to change irrational thoughts. c. refusing a request to sit on a committee to evaluate scheduling software. d. exercising regularly.
ANS: A Achieving balance between work and leisure is a useful strategy for stress reduction. Distancing, however, can be a sign of depersonalization that includes negative attitudes as well and is a characteristic of burnout.
The nurse manager is aware that conflict is occurring on her unit; however, she is focused on preparing for a state health department visit, so she ignores the problem. A factor that can increase stress and escalate conflict is: a. The use of avoidance. b. An enhanced nursing workforce. c. Accepting that some conflict is normal. d. Managing the effects of fatigue and error.
ANS: A Avoidance as a conflict-management style prolongs conflict and has a tendency to escalate conflict. REF: Page 436
As a nurse manager, the one activity you should not overlook is: a. posting the yearly rotation schedule. b. reviewing vacation requests. c. scheduling staffing for holidays 6 months in advance. d. anticipating staff sick days.
ANS: B Free time and vacation time are needed for individuals to recharge. If time for work is more than 60% of wake time, or when self-time is less than 10% of wake time, stress levels increase.
A nurse manager must implement a 2% budget cut on the nursing unit. Which approach should the manager use to most effectively empower the staff of the unit? a. Discuss the guidelines for the budget cuts with the staff, making the decisions with those who participate. b. Inform the staff of the budget cuts in a series of small group meetings, and accept their ideas in writing only. c. Provide the staff with handouts about the budget cuts, and let them make recommendations in writing. d. Hold a series of mandatory meetings on the budget cuts, asking staff for ideas on the cuts.
A
A staff nurse asks the nurse manager for a few days off for personal reasons. The nurse manager turns in the request to the human resources office with a note indicating that the staff nurse has demonstrated excellent working skills and is a valued employee. The nurse manager has used the influence of her position to help this staff member. Influence is the process of: a. Using power. b. Empowering others. c. Understanding power. d. Moving past apathy.
A
Staff at Valley Hospital are concerned that recent staffing cuts will affect their ability to provide quality patient care, and they express their concerns to senior management. The CEO of Valley Hospital makes the following statement: "We need to contain costs because our funding has been decreased." This is a good example of which of the following conditions that propel a situation toward conflict? a. Incompatible goals b. Role conflicts c. Structural conflict d. Competition for resources
ANS: A Conflicts arise in four areas: goals, facts, approaches, and values. Conflicts among goals arise from competing priorities such as the provision of quality patient care and containment of costs. REF: Page 433 | Page 436
3. In nursing theory, one theorist developed the theory of self-care of patients. In the theory, the nursing action of providing care and educating the patients can be interpreted in the form of followership for the patient. Who was their theorist? A)Dorothea Orem B) Patricia Benner C) Ida Jean Orlando D) Robert E. Kelley
ANS: A Dorothea Orem created the theory of self-care. In using the theory related to leadership and followership, the nurse participates and provides quality care when the patient is unable and educates the patient when needed. In this theory, the nurse is the follower in active, participatory role with the patient.
Sources of occupational stress in nursing include all except which of the following? a. Authoritarian leadership b. Concern about moral wrongdoing by colleagues c. Multiple changes in a short time d. Rotating shifts
ANS: A Ethical distress, complexity compression, rotating shifts, high acuity levels, rotating shifts, and workload are all sources of work-related stress for nurses.
In a job interview for a nursing position, Marley can be assured that which of the following will occur? a. Both eustress and distress b. Only eustress c. Only distress d. Neither eustress nor distress
ANS: A Eustress is defined as stress that is pleasant in nature, and distress is defined as stress of an unpleasant nature. One can assume that every interview has both of these stresses.
8. A staff nurse is taking leadership classes in an advanced degree program with a goal to become a nurse manager. The nurse is studying the leader-follower relationship. What has the nurse discovered as accurate part of the leader-follower relationship? A) Leaders are also followers. B) Followers need to linear structures. C) Followers are submissive in nature. D) Leaders should dictate to the group.
ANS: A In the leader-follower relationship, it is important to be aware the leaders are also followers. In reality, a core part of leadership is being an effective follower as well. There is no linear structure any longer and followers have as much input in decision making as is needed based on the topic. The older days of dictatorship as leadership are antiquated and no longer valid in true leader-follower relationships.
Sarah, a staff nurse on your unit, witnesses another nurse striking a patient. Sarah wants to remain friends with her colleague and worries that confrontation with her colleague or reporting her colleague will destroy their relationship. Sarah is experiencing which type of conflict? a. Intrapersonal b. Interpersonal c. Organizational d. Professional
ANS: A Intrapersonal conflict occurs within a person when confronted with the need to think or act in a way that seems at odds with that person's sense of self. Questions often arise that create a conflict over priorities, ethical standards, and values. Some issues present a conflict over comfortably maintaining the status quo and taking risks to confront people when needed, which can lead to interpersonal conflict. REF: Page 433
2. As a nurse manager, you are a leader and a follower in health care and on the unit you manage. Looking at the larger picture of health care and patient environment on the unit, what is the primary role of the followers on the unit, as defined in nursing? A) Direct care provider B) Implements leader's policy unquestioned C) Passive role on unit D) Devalued staff member
ANS: A Often, the staff nurses are the followers and the role in nursing is the one of direct care provider. The nurses are independent thinkers who implement policy with understanding and question if needed, they are not possible and one of the most valued members of the health care team.
The nurse manager of a unit has lost many staff members, and the unit is now staffed with a large number of agency and traveling nurses. She knows that the agency and traveling nurses are all contracted to stay on the unit for the next 3 months. One way to improve morale and decrease stress in the unit would be to: a. plan a social event and include the agency and traveling nurse staff members. b. plan unit-based social events for your remaining permanent staff members. c. request hospital-based "floating" nurses to substitute for the temporary staff. d. implement team nursing.
ANS: A Social support, in the form of positive work relationships, can be an important way to buffer the effects of a stressful work environment. Including all staff in the social event enables those who are not normally part of the team to experience this support and provides an opportunity for the staff as a whole to develop supportive relationships.
9. The nurse manager is working with a group of new nurses. The new nurses ask questions about leadership and the role of a manager in leading nursing. The manager shares the desire to have engaged staff nurses who participate in a team environment. What is the manager describing? A) Effective follower B) Effective leader C) Ineffective follower D) Ineffective leader
ANS: A The manger has described the role of an effective follower on the unit. The effective follower identifies and engages and participates as member of the team to work to achieve the team goals.
The staff development educator presents a series of programs on stress management to the nurse managers. Research has indicated that an individual's ability to deal with stress is moderated by psychological hardiness. Psychological hardiness is a composite of: a. commitment, control, and challenge. b. commitment, powerlessness, and passivity. c. commitment, control, and passivity. d. decreased isolation, challenge, and passivity.
ANS: A Some people have the capacity to accept changes in life with good humor and resilience, which, in turn, influences behavior that prevents illness. Hardiness involves the capacity to manage time and stress, to reframe situations positively, and to commit.
Mr. T. Jones and Mr. R. Smith are both going to become residents in Sunny Haven Lodge. Mr. Jones views it as an opportunity to socialize and meet new friends. Mr. Smith views this as abandonment by his family and is worried that the care will be inadequate. Each senior perceives the situation differently. This is a good example of stress that is: a. both a positive stressor and a negative stressor. b. occurring only because of age. c. positive in both cases. d. harmful in both cases.
ANS: A Some researchers have determined that stress is a person-environment process in which the person appraises the situation as taxing or not. Appraisal is an important concept that explains why two people react in different ways to the same situation. Stress can be viewed as positive (eustress) or negative (distress).
A hospice nurse has been feeling very stressed at work because of both the physical strain and the emotional drain of working with clients with AIDS. She tries to walk 1 to 2 miles three times a week and to talk regularly with her husband about her work-related feelings. One reasonable stress-management strategy would be to: a. start taking yoga lessons. b. make an appointment to meet with a psychiatrist. c. start jogging 5 to 6 miles every day. d. plan to go out for a drink with fellow nurses after work every day.
ANS: A Stress relief techniques include 30 minutes of exercise five times a week, as well as techniques such as yoga that relieve mental stress.
After using a mediator to resolve a conflict between the nurse manager and two staff nurses, the chief nursing officer decides to: a. Observe to make sure the conflict has been resolved. b. Fire both staff nurses. c. Reassign both staff nurses. d. Reassign the nurse manager.
ANS: A The nurse leader should follow up to determine if the conflict has been resolved because, in professional practice environments, unresolved conflict among nurses is a significant issue that results in job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and turnover, as well as in decreased patient satisfaction and poorer quality in patient care. REF: Page 432 | Page 436
A nurse educator is giving a workshop on conflict. During the sessions, he makes various statements regarding conflict. All of the statements are true except: a. Conflict can decrease creativity, thus acting as a deterrent for the development of new ideas. b. Horizontal violence involves those with similar status but little power in the larger context. c. Interprofessional collaboration reduces unresolved conflicts. d. All conflicts involve some level of disagreement.
ANS: A The opposite is true because research has shown that conflict, like change, increases creativity and allows for the development of new ideas. REF: Page 432 | Page 444 | Page 445
A nurse manager in a for-profit environment finds it difficult to recruit staff. This difficulty may be most related to aggressive profit goals and: a. lower salary compensation for staff. b. rising expectations of impoverished and indigent individuals for services. c. poor orientation and retention practices for staff. d. an overwhelming emphasis on accepting learners from health disciplines.
ANS: A For-profit hospitals tend to have lower wage and salary costs that are most likely connected to aggressive goals for profit.
A facility that provides care for patients whose average length of stay is less than 30 days and to patients whose average length of stay is longer than 30 days, and who require inpatient and ambulatory care for addictions, through a spectrum of wellness and illness services and providers, would be considered: a. a healthcare network. b. a tertiary care institution. c. rehabilitative. d. long-term care.
ANS: A Healthcare networks embrace and provide wellness and illness services, including primary, secondary, and tertiary care, through a network of providers.
A merger has occurred between a hospital and a local home health agency, creating new roles for the nursing staff in both agencies. The nurse managers of both systems begin to evaluate and revise patient care processes and systems. With the merger, the healthcare organization's changes are: a. creating more jobs in the community for registered nurses. b. resulting in an overall loss of jobs for registered nurses. c. controlled by the federal and state governments. d. controlled by the insurance agency.
ANS: A Home care agencies staffed appropriately with adequate numbers of professional nurses have the potential to keep older adults, those with disabilities, and persons with chronic illnesses comfortable and safe at home. Home care is the fastest growing segment in health care and the volume of home health care may have a subsequent impact on the numbers of nurses required.
As a nurse manager in a hospital, you would expect what to be the major contributor to funding and revenues in your organization? a. The federal government b. Medicare c. Medicaid d. Blue Cross/Blue Shield
ANS: A The federal government is responsible for both Medicare and Medicaid and is the largest and most influential health insurance program in the United States. The federal government is the primary payer of healthcare costs in the United States.
With the help of a federal grant, the local school nurse has established a spreadsheet that contains relevant nursing data so that she can analyze children's health. School health programs are: a. increasingly seen as primary care sites for children. b. providing only health education programs for children and their parents. c. capable only of providing referrals for health problems to primary care providers. d. funded exclusively by local authorities.
ANS: A Traditionally, school health programs were organized to control infectious disease outbreaks, treat and control on-site injuries, and educate parents and children about basic health. Increasingly, schools are being seen as primary healthcare sites for children.
As a nurse manager in a for-profit hospital, you are interested in promoting teaching programs for physicians, because evidence suggests that hospitals with teaching programs tend to promote better care for patients. Your administration indicates that it cannot support your ideas or proposal because of: (Select all that apply.) a. increased salary costs. b. duplication of tests and procedures. c. graduate medical education. d. potential damage to reputation through learner error.
ANS: A, B, C Teaching hospitals tend to incur higher costs because of the salaries required for supervision of physicians, duplication of tests and procedures through the learning process, longer times required to process patients, costs of state-of-the art technology, biomedical research, and stand-by capacity of specialized care. Because of the additional costs, few for-profit agencies and organizations support teaching programs.
High levels of work-related stress affect all but which of the following? (Select all that apply.) a. Job satisfaction b. Absenteeism and turnover c. Nurses' health d. Client welfare
ANS: A, B, C, D Many writers and researchers have found that these work-related areas are adversely affected by stress.
1. A new graduate nurse is working in an outpatient surgical center with the circulating nurse. The nurse is reviewing the patient's chart and orders. The patient has been in pre-op receiving eye drops in her right eye as preparation for cataract removal surgery. The pre-operative orders indicate a marking has been made above the right eyebrow by the pre-operative nurse for surgery. The pre-operative nurse has been instilling the medicated eye drops to dilate the right eye for surgery. Upon further review of surgical consent, the consent was for surgery on the left eye and the history and physical by the surgeon indicate the patient is supposed to have surgery on her left eye. What action by the new nurse is considered appropriate followership? (Select all that apply.) A) Alert the pre-operative nurse to the chart discrepancy. B) Ask the charge nurse to double check the chart together. C) Notify the surgeon to the issue for further orders. D) Complete a hospital incident report. E) Do nothing; assume the nurse was correct.
ANS: A, B, C, D The appropriate role of the follower is to be a patient advocate, role model patient care, be an active part of the team and influence outcomes. The nurse needs to notify the pre-operative nurse, double check the chart, and notify the surgeon for further orders or possible cancelation of surgery. In addition, this is an error and requires reporting and completion of a hospital incident report.
Nurses entering into the workforce today are faced with which of the following relationships that could create organizational conflict? (Select all that apply.) a. Nurse-physician relationship b. Nurse-nurse relationship c. Nurse-patient relationship d. Nurse-chief nursing officer relationship e. Nurse-auxiliary personnel relationships
ANS: A, B, C, D, E By nature, conflict is potentially present in all interpersonal situations. The nurse manager should create an environment that recognizes and values differences in staff, physicians, patients, and communities. REF: Page 442
Two staff nurses are arguing about whose turn it is to work on the upcoming holiday. In trying to resolve this conflict, the nurse manager understands that interpersonal conflict arises when: a. Risk taking seems to be unavoidable. b. People see events differently. c. Personal and professional priorities do not match. d. The ways in which people should act do not match the ways in which they do act.
ANS: B By definition, conflict involves a difference in perception between two or more individuals. REF: Page 433
The education consultant at St. Joseph Hospital is giving a workshop on cognitive reframing. The consultant explains that cognitive reframing reduces stress by: a. aiding individuals in identifying positive stressors. b. helping people realize that negative thinking causes emotional distress. c. eliminating negative stressors. d. replacing positive self-statements with negative irrational beliefs.
ANS: B Cognitive reframing is a therapy that aids individuals in discovering that their irrational thoughts can be replaced with responses that are more rational. It enables individuals to gain a sense of control over the situation and can change "I'll never ..." to "I can ..." or "She always ..." to "Sometimes she ..." It is an approach that allows individuals to replace negative thoughts and statements with others that are more realistic and helpful.
John is a circulating nurse in the operating room. He is usually assigned to general surgery, but on this day he is assigned to the orthopedic room. He is unfamiliar with the routines and studies the doctor's preference cards before each patient. The fourth patient comes into the room and John prepares a site for a biopsy using a Betadine solution. The surgeon prefers another solution. He notices what John has done and immediately corrects him by rudely insulting John. Which of the following is the most appropriate approach to conflict resolution in this example? a. Collaboration b. Compromising c. Avoiding d. Withdraw
ANS: B Compromise involves negotiation or an exchange of concessions and supports a balance of power. REF: Page 439
A group of staff nurses is dissatisfied with the new ideas presented by the newly hired nurse manager. The staff wants to keep their old procedures, and they resist the changes. Conflict arises from: a. Group decision-making options. b. Perceptions of incompatibility. c. Increases in group cohesiveness. d. Debates, negotiations, and compromises.
ANS: B Conflict involves disagreement in values or beliefs within oneself or between people that causes harm or has the potential to cause harm. Folger, Poole, and Stutman (2012) add that conflict results from the interaction of interdependent people who perceive incompatibility and the potential for interference. REF: Page 432
The chief nursing officer listens to nurse managers verbalize their feelings of internal stress. One common source of internal stress seems to be: a. the death of a loved one. b. perfectionism. c. getting married. d. losing a job.
ANS: B Losing a job, the death of a loved one, and getting married are examples of external stress.
4. In nursing theory, one theorist developed the idea of new nurses progressing to experienced nurses and playing an important role in patient care in all stages. The new nurses follow their role and progress through stages to advanced nurse. Who was this theorist? A) Dorothea Orem B) Patricia Benner C) Ida Jean Orlando D) Robert E. Kelley
ANS: B Patricia Benner developed the theory of novice to expert. When using the theory in application to leadership and followership, the nurse progressing following the role to the advanced level.
Tracy is an RN case manager who interfaces between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid. Tracy's responsibilities most likely would include: a. managing physician-led research. b. monitoring physician documentation of the need for medical care. c. determining which services are designated fee-for-service. d. identifying errors in physician diagnoses.
ANS: B Nurse case managers serve as interfaces for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and are key in monitoring compliance with Conditions of Participation (CoP) elements. The case managers routinely monitor for appropriate physician documentation of medical necessity and other required CoP elements
The chief nursing officer understands that a nurse manager can exhibit stress that is related to trying to keep up with the number of electronic messages that arrive, as well as trying to remain accessible to staff. What is a strategy that would assist the manager to manage the information overload effectively? a. Ignore messages unless they are labeled as important. b. Determine who is most likely to send useful or important information or requests. c. Check e-mail messages once a day. d. Encourage face-to-face meetings rather than e-mail.
ANS: B Reduction of stress related to information overload requires the development of information-receiving and information-sending skills. Information-sending skills include determining most common sources of useful data, labeling files and folders to which e-mail messages can be directed, deletion of e-mails, and focusing on the most important pieces. Information-sending skills include keeping e-mail messages short (and calling if the message needs to be long) and considering the most appropriate medium for messages (telephone, fax, face-to-face).
An example of role stress occurs when: a. the director of the ICU and the manager of the surgical unit wish to hire the same new employee. b. two part-time staff members are hired to work in a unit, but the job expectations for them are not clear, and the head nurse expresses disappointment in their performance. c. the nurse manager for the ICU wants to advocate for more staff and finds it difficult to find data to substantiate his proposal. d. line managers believe that support staff use their technical knowledge to intrude on their authority.
ANS: B Role stress is an additional stressor for nurses. Viewed as the incongruence between perceived role expectations and achievement, role stress is particularly acute for new graduates. Failure to comply with expectations can lead to role conflict. Role conflict and role ambiguity are major sources of conflict for nurses.
Jeff, an RN in his 30s, has lost a parent, just purchased a new home, and is laid off with 6 months' severance pay. At the same time, Jerry, an RN in his 50s, is financially secure and is asked to take early retirement with a buyout. How will the two men react to the emotional and physical influences and the sequence of stress? a. The younger man will feel more stress. b. The two men may or may not feel the same amount of stress. c. The older man will feel more stress. d. Neither man will experience any stress.
ANS: B The response to similar stressors does not always result in a similar experience of stress in individuals. Responses are mediated by the appraisal of the event as well as by factors such as gender, personality, lifestyle, and age.
The chief nursing officer plans a series of staff development workshops for the nurse managers to help them deal with conflicts. The first workshop introduces the four stages of conflict, which are: a. Frustration, competition, negotiation, and action. b. Frustration, conceptualization, action, and outcomes. c. Frustration, cooperation, collaboration, and action outcomes. d. Frustration, conceptualization, negotiation, and action outcomes.
ANS: B Thomas (1992) determined that conflict proceeds through these four stages in this particular order. REF: Page 434
Two nurses on a psychiatric unit come from different backgrounds and have graduated from different universities. They are given a set of new orders from the unit manager. Each nurse displays different emotions in response to the orders. Nurse A indicates that the new orders include too many changes; Nurse B disagrees and verbally indicates why. This step in the process is which of the following in Thomas' Stages of Conflict? a. Frustration b. Conceptualization c. Action d. Outcomes
ANS: B Thomas' Stages of Conflict include conceptualization, which involves different ideas and emphasis on what is important or not or about what should occur. REF: Page 434 | Page 435
The local health department nurse manager has developed and implemented a disaster readiness plan as part of a community service. Community services: a. care for the specific needs of individual families in the community. b. focus on the treatment of community-wide problems rather than on individual health problems. c. do not include services provided by public health departments. d. provide personal health follow-up for all acute care hospitalizations.
ANS: B Community services, including public health departments, are focused on the treatment of the community rather than that of the individual. These funds provide personal health services, care for communicable diseases, services for children with birth defects, mental health care, investigation of epidemiology, and treatment of bioterrorism threats and attacks. Monies are allocated also for environmental services and for health resources.
A local hospital has formed a corporate partnership with a reputable HMO (health maintenance organization). The nurse manager has had to educate staff and personnel about the financial implications of this partnership. An HMO: a. provides more expensive care than other types of insurance plans. b. has a centralized administration that directs and compensates physician services. c. pays physicians on a fee-for-service basis. d. does not pay as much for acute care as other practice plans.
ANS: B The HMO is a configuration of healthcare agencies that provide basic and supplemental health maintenance and treatment services to voluntary enrollees who prepay a fixed periodic fee without regard to the amount of services used. HMOs have a centralized administration that directs and pays salaries for physician practice (e.g., HMOs).
As a nurse manager, you have been offered a position at a Veterans Administration hospital. In accepting the position, it is important for you to understand that Veterans hospitals provide: a. primary care and are privately funded. b. a range of services and are responsible to government and taxpayers. c. secondary care only and are publicly administered and funded. d. services to Veterans under an HMO.
ANS: B Veterans Administration hospitals provide a range of services to Veterans and are responsible to government and thus to taxpayers, who support the hospitals.
Mrs. Hill, aged 68, was hospitalized after a stroke. The speech therapist recommended that oral feeding be stopped because of her dysplasia. During visiting hours, Mr. Hill fed his wife some noodles. The nurse noticed this and stopped Mr. Hill from feeding his wife, telling him it was the doctor's decision. An hour later, the nurse returned and found Mr. Hill feeding his wife again. The nurse tried to stop him again. Mr. Hill refused and claimed that the clinical staff was trying to starve his wife; he also threatened to get violent with the nurse. The nurse decided to walk away and documented the event in Mrs. Hill's chart. According to Thomas' Four Stages of Conflict, in which stage could the nurse have been more effective? a. Frustration b. Conceptualizing c. Action d. Outcomes
ANS: C By walking away, the nurse is engaged in an action or a behavioral response, which is the action stage of conflict that is outlined in the four stages of conflict (Thomas, 1992). In this stage, the nurse might have used more effective strategies, such as clarifying Mr. Hill's views on feeding his wife and engaging in dialogue with Mr. Hill to clarify his concerns and attempt to reach a common goal. REF: Page 435
Jane has transferred from the ICU to the CCU. She is very set in the way she makes assignments and encourages her new peers to adopt this method without sharing the rationale for why it is better. This is a good example of a process and procedure that creates which type of conflict? a. Organizational b. Intrapersonal c. Interpersonal d. Disruptive
ANS: C Interpersonal conflict transpires between and among nurses, physicians, members of other departments, and patients. REF: Page 433
A nursing instructor is teaching a class on conflict and conflict resolution. She relates to the class that conflict in an organization is important, and that an optimal level of conflict will generate: a. Creativity, a problem-solving atmosphere, a weak team spirit, and motivation of its workers. b. Creativity, a staid atmosphere, a weak team spirit, and motivation of its workers. c. Creativity, a problem-solving atmosphere, a strong team spirit, and motivation for its workers. d. A bureaucratic atmosphere, a strong team spirit, and motivation for its workers.
ANS: C Differences in ideas, perceptions, and approaches, when managed well, can lead to creative solutions and deepened human relationships. Work on conflict suggests that complete resolution of conflict is counterproductive to the achievement of organizational goals, organizational change, and cohesiveness of employees. REF: Page 432
Lee, the head nurse in ER, has attempted to meet Jillian, one of her staff RNs, for several days to discuss concerns about Jillian's relationships with her team members. Lee hopes to offer Jillian coaching so that Jillian's relationships can be more satisfying for Jillian and her team members. Each time Lee and Jillian set a time to meet, Jillian phones in sick. In this situation, Lee and Jillian are demonstrating: a. Similar conflict management strategies. b. Escalation of conflict. c. Avoidance and compromise strategies. d. Competing and compromise strategies.
ANS: C Jillian is demonstrating avoidance by staying away from meetings to discuss her team relationships, and Lee is demonstrating compromise by offering coaching in return for Jillian's being able to engage in more satisfying relationships. REF: Page 436
Kala, a unit manager, in discussing a role the CEO would like her to perform, makes the following statement, "I will sit on the hospital taskforce on improving morale if you send me to the hospital's leadership training classes next week, so I can further develop my skills and thus be more effective." Which of the following conflict management styles is Kala using? a. Collaborating b. Avoiding c. Negotiating d. Accommodating
ANS: C Negotiation involves an exchange of concessions (membership on a committee in return for attendance at a workshop) or trading. This strategy supports a balance of power. REF: Page 439
As a unit manager, you chair the unit meetings. For each meeting, you consider and establish the purpose of the meeting. Second, you prepare an agenda. Arrange the following steps in an order that would make the meetings productive and successful. 1. Distribute an agenda. 2. Distribute minutes. 3. Select team members. 4. Start on time. 5. Keep the meeting focused and directed toward accomplishing the set objectives. Select the correct order from the following options: a. 1, 2, 4, 5, 3 b. 4, 1, 2, 5, 3 c. 3, 1, 4, 5, 2 d. 3, 4, 2, 1, 5
ANS: C Planning, organizing, and keeping the group on task are critical in ensuring that meetings are productive and that time is managed well.
As a nurse manager, you observe a staff nurse who over the past few weeks has become withdrawn and has had several absences due to minor ailments. Your best action would be to: a. ask the nurse if she is okay during report. b. refer the nurse to the employee assistance program. c. ask the nurse to meet with you for a few minutes before she leaves for the day. d. write a note to the nurse advising her that her work attendance must improve.
ANS: C Stress can lead to emotional symptoms such as depression and a variety of ailments. Meeting with the nurse privately may assist in identifying stress and possible solutions.
Which of the following statements would best define stress? Stress is: a. the comfortable gap between how we like our life to be and how it actually is. b. everyday life, both the highs and the lows. c. a consequence or response to an event or stimulus that can be positive or negative. d. identical to distress.
ANS: C Stress is defined as a gap between how we would like our lives to be and how they actually are and as a consequence or response to an event or stimulus. It is not inherently bad (distress), and whether highs and lows are seen as distress or eustress is dependent on each individual's interpretation of the event.
In reviewing the current delivery model, the nurse manager is aware that a demographic change that will have a significant effect on healthcare delivery systems of the future is: a. changes in staffing patterns. b. increasing reports of violence in the workplace. c. the increasing percentage of the population that will be over age 65. d. escalations in the cost of health care.
ANS: C A demographic change that will significantly impact the healthcare system of the future is the increasing proportion of individuals 65 years and older. By 2025, more than 18% of the population is expected to be 65 years and older, which means that new healthcare organizations will evolve as the system attempts to maintain older adults in the community for as long as possible.
What would be the most appropriate focus in developing a business plan for a nurse-owned home healthcare service? a. Programs to educate the community on preparing healthy meals for a limited cost b. Reduction of injuries from alcohol-related accidents c. Pain management for patients with low back pain d. Reduction of falls among seniors
ANS: C Nurse-managed and nurse-owned healthcare services are part of a growing number of organizations that extend health care beyond that offered through traditional services. Growth in these organizations and services has been spurred by the implementation of the prospective payment system, which resulted in early discharge of many patients from acute care facilities. These nurse-managed and nurse-owned services focus on the care of individuals and families rather than on community-based outcomes for populations such as older adults, or on community-based issues such as injuries related to drunk driving.
A group of patients with early Alzheimer disease and their spouses approach you regarding help with the establishment of a local Alzheimer Society for the support and education of affected individuals and their families. As a manager in an ambulatory care clinic, what suggestion or advice would you offer this group? a. Self-help groups are, by nature, directed, funded, and led by those requiring help, and therefore, the patients and families should need no help from your clinic. b. Your healthcare organization would be pleased to help as long as your organization financially takes over responsibility for direction, leadership, and management. c. Through partnership, you will provide supports, if possible, that the patients and spouses themselves identify as necessary in the establishment of the group. d. The services that the patients and spouses are proposing are likely being offered somewhere else already.
ANS: C Self-help groups often are made up of, and are directed by, peers who have healthcare needs. A growing trend is the development of community-based geriatric organizations in partnership with healthcare organizations. The request of the patients and their spouses indicates that this service is needed in the community and that they are looking for assistance in setting up the Alzheimer Society rather than having your agency take over the management of the group.
Healthcare organization XYZ provides women's health services on an inpatient basis (average stay of less than 30 days). This facility would likely be considered: a. primary care, specialized. b. tertiary care, long-term. c. acute care, specialized. d. public care, specialized.
ANS: C The AHA defines an acute care hospital as a facility in which the average length of stay is less than 30 days. Because of the focus on women's health services, it would also be considered specialized.
A nurse manager at a home healthcare service has resigned to take a position at a local ambulatory care center. She has been hired because of her expertise in TJC accreditation. To initiate the changes, the nurse manager has to be knowledgeable about the differences between a home healthcare institution and an ambulatory care center, which is a primary care institution. Primary care institutions are facilities that provide: a. rehabilitative or long-term care. b. disease-restorative care. c. first access to care. d. only outpatient services.
ANS: C The spectrum of care services provided are typically described as primary care (first-access care), secondary care (disease-restorative care), and tertiary care (rehabilitative or long-term care). Ambulatory care centers are an example of primary care.
After several months of heavy patient loads in the Emergency Department and inability to secure sufficient and experienced staff, the department is especially taxed by a train accident that brings in many seriously injured individuals. You observe that Rama ignores the requests of several of the injured, even when time is available to care for them and is rude to two older adult patients. You are concerned that Rama is evidencing which state? a. Hardiness b. Depression c. Role ambiguity d. Depersonalization
ANS: D A characteristic of burnout is depersonalization, a state characterized by distancing oneself from the work itself and developing negative attitudes toward work in general (Greenglass et al., 2001). Depersonalization is commonly described as a feeling of being outside one's body, feeling as if one is a machine or robot, an "unreal" feeling that one is in a dream or that one "is on automatic pilot." Generally, subjective symptoms of unreality make the nurse uneasy and anxious. Nurses pushed to do too much in too little time may distance themselves from patients as a means of dealing with emotional exhaustion.
Jill is the head nurse on a unit in a large hospital. Two of the staff nurses are constantly arguing and blaming each other, and a resolution has not occurred in months. To solve the existing conflict, which is the most creative conflict resolution? a. Avoiding b. Competing c. Compromising d. Collaborating
ANS: D Collaboration, although time-consuming, is the most creative stance. The collaboration technique involves both sides in the conflict working together to develop an optimal outcome. This results in a win-win solution. REF: Page 439
6. The definition of follower has historically referred to a person who is subservient and submissive. The new principles of followership offer a different perspective. What is NOT considered an attribute of followership in nursing? A) Independent decision making B) Critical thinking C) Patient advocate D) No influence over leaders
ANS: D A followership in nursing does have influence over the leaders in an organization. The followers are an integral part of the healthcare team in nursing and provide support, patient care, critical thinking, and decision-making skills.
Which of the following best exemplifies the predominant style of conflict management for staff nurses? a. Sarah and Jonas, two RNs, disagree about the best approach to assisting a family that has complex needs. They decide that they will consult with family and together will decide what is best. b. Jennifer needs to switch a shift to attend a family function. She arranges to trade with Nancy, who wants a day off next to a 3-day break. c. Lindsay asks Melody to stay late for the third day in a row. Melody refuses, stating that she has already helped out for two days by staying late for Lindsay. d. Lara asks Stacey to switch shifts with her because Lara wants to attend a concert. Stacey would prefer not to but does to enable Lara, who is new in town, to be with her friends.
ANS: D Avoidance and accommodation are the predominant conflict management styles of nurses. Accommodating involves neglecting one's own needs while trying to satisfy the needs of another. REF: Pages 438-440
The head nurse and a staff nurse are having a conflict over how to use and apply a new procedure for dressings in the medical/surgical unit. The staff nurse wishes to use the new procedure based on newly released nursing research. The head nurse wishes to use a protocol that has been used in the department for a number of years. The head nurse later makes comments to other staff on her unit about the credibility of the staff nurse. This behavior is associated with: a. Lateral violence. b. Horizontal violence. c. Confrontation. d. Bullying.
ANS: D Bullying involves aggressive or destructive behavior or psychological harassment of a recipient who is in a position of power differential with the perpetrator (the head nurse). Bullying is closely related to lateral or horizontal violence and involves such behaviors as incivility or intimidation. REF: Page 439 | Page 444
The nurse manager is implementing a shared governance model to help with communication and decision making. Although staff members like the concept, change is difficult. Staff nurses feel: a. more empowered. b. more communicative. c. less stressed. d. more powerless and devalued.
ANS: D Change can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and powerless, especially if complexity compression or rapid, intense changes have been involved.
Which of the following exemplifies the predominant conflict management style of nurse managers? a. Elizabeth, the head nurse on neurology, finds that Tom, the RN nurse on nights, is irritable in relation to any suggestions or new ideas, and so she comes in to work after Tom leaves the unit. b. The technology committee has recommended a clinical system for implementation on the nursing unit. Staff is anxious about the change. Tim, the head nurse, asks staff for ideas on how to meet the technology goals and to meet staff needs. c. During management meetings, George, the head nurse on nephrology, dominates meetings and decisions. Lee, the head nurse on the cardiac step-down unit, begins to miss the management meetings. d. Ann, RN, asks her head nurse if she can go on the permanent evening shift. The head nurse, Rajib, agrees, as long as Ann agrees to be involved in assisting to mentor evening staff in the use of the new clinical information system.
ANS: D Compromise involves trading and negotiation and is the predominant conflict management style of managers. REF: Page 439 | Page 440
Factors that influence the ease with which conflict is resolved include all except which of the following? a. Level of interdependence of the parties b. Interprofessional collaboration. c. Expression of one's own needs and ideas. d. Avoidance of the issue or concern.
ANS: D Conflict involves a level of interdependence and is a condition for conflict but not necessarily for continuance of the conflict. Expression of one's ideas and concerns is considered assertive and effective in resolving conflict if the concerns and needs of the other are also considered. Interprofessional collaboration has been shown to be effective in resolving conflict. Avoidance tends to prolong and sometimes escalate conflict. REF: Page 432 | Page 436 | Page 438
A staff nurse approaches the unit manager and indicates to her that because of her father's death in the previous month, she is now finding it very difficult to do her work effectively. This would be considered a(n) ________ stress. a. internal source b. familial c. burnout d. external
ANS: D External stress is outside and removed from the work setting, but it is considered work-related stress because of the impact it has on the worker.
5. The definition of leader refers to a person who has ability to guide people. In nursing, the leader does more. What is NOT a role of a leader in nursing? A) Active listening B) Open communication C) Accountability in decisions D) Tight control of decisions
ANS: D In leadership and when defining a leader, one does not keep tight control of decisions. Leaders incorporate the follower into decision making and adapt to changes during events and as needed.
The nurse manager decides to use a mediator to help resolve the staff's conflict. A basic strategy for truly addressing this conflict is to: a. Identify the conflicting facts. b. Be determined to resolve the conflict. c. Schedule a meeting time for resolution. d. Have a clear understanding of the differences between the parties in conflict.
ANS: D It is important for each person in the conflict to clarify the conflict as "I see it" and how "it makes me respond" before all the persons involved in the conflict can define the conflict, develop a shared conceptualization, and resolve their differences. REF: Page 435
In trying to achieve Magnet™ status, the chief nursing officer establishes a shared governance model to help nurses experience job satisfaction. However, some nurses who have enjoyed working with less autonomy resist this change and begin to criticize and make rude comments about managers who embrace this model, as well as colleagues who support it. The comments are largely ignored because those who are making them are well established nurses who are often vocal about their displeasure with the organization. Organizational conflict is arising from which of the following? a. Staffing practices b. Increased participation in decision making c. Allocation of resources d. Tolerance of incivility
ANS: D Organizational conflict arises from discord related to policies and procedures (such as staffing policies and practices and allocation of resources), personnel codes or conduct or accepted norms of behavior (such as incivility), and patterns of communication. A major source conflict in organizations stems from strategies that promote more participation and autonomy of staff nurses. REF: Page 433 | Page 434
Social stressors are considered a major factor in the stress nurses experience in the healthcare system. Which of the following is not considered to be a social stressor? a. High amounts of stress in the nursing home environment b. Changes in the current healthcare system such as nursing strategies c. Disruptive behavior coming from physicians and other healthcare workers d. Stress triggers such as self-criticism and overanalyzing
ANS: D Personal stress triggers such as self-criticism are considered intrapersonal stressors; environmental factors such as change, work environment, and interactions with others are considered social stressors.
A nurse manager has decided that she must institute some personal time-management steps to survive work and home life. Her first step should be to: a. determine what takes up so much of her time and energy. b. organize her personal and work spaces. c. purchase a handheld personal digital assistant to help remind her of important meetings. d. determine her personal and professional goals.
ANS: D Personal time management refers, in part, to "the knowing of self." Self-awareness is a critical leadership skill, and being self-aware and setting goals helps managers determine how their time is best spent.
Sarah is a nurse manager in a surgical unit. She is concerned about a conflict between Lucy (a staff nurse) and one of the maintenance personnel. Sarah explains to Lucy that unsatisfactory resolution of the conflict is typically destructive and will result in: a. Decreased frustration between the maintenance worker and her. b. A good relationship with the maintenance department. c. Eventual resolution of the problem without further intervention. d. Decreased productivity on her part.
ANS: D Research by Saltman et al. (2006) determined that productivity decreases with destructive conflict, whereas constructive conflict strengthens relationships. REF: Page 435
Mrs. Hill, aged 68, was hospitalized after a stroke. The speech therapist recommended that oral feeding be stopped because of her dysplasia. During visiting hours, Mr. Hill fed his wife some noodles. The nurse noticed this and stopped Mr. Hill from feeding his wife, telling him it was the doctor's decision. An hour later, the nurse returned and found Mr. Hill feeding his wife again. The nurse tried to stop him again. Mr. Hill refused and claimed that the clinical staff was trying to starve his wife; he also threatened to get violent with the nurse. The nurse decided to walk away and documented the event in Mrs. Hill's chart. The outcome as depicted by Thomas' conflict stages can be considered to be: a. Compromising. b. Confronting. c. Constructive. d. Destructive.
ANS: D Resolution was absent because the nurse did not have time to effectively deal with the issues in the conflict. This can lead to negativity, increased frustration, and further distancing between individuals or groups, including between patients and nurses. REF: Page 439
7. The manager of a nursing unit is having difficulty working with a new graduate nurse. The new graduate nurse is excited and full of ideas she wants to try keeps pushing the manager to make changes. The manager decides to provide the new nurse with an opportunity to present an idea to the staff at the next meeting. What is the manager providing the new nurse? A) Leadership opportunity B) Working to improve patient care C) Input to the unit D) All of the above
ANS: D The manager is offering the new nurse an opportunity for unit leadership. By presenting ideas to the staff, the nurse will be working to develop input into the unit, and the idea if patient related, will possibility influence and improve patient care.
Which one of the following statements has been proven to be true? a. Recent research has found that women do not have a unique physiologic response to stress. b. Both men and women interpret the same stressor in the same manner without regard to past experiences. c. Stress influences the immune system in one complex manner. d. Stressors that are identical do not necessarily have similar effects on each individual.
ANS: D Stressors may be unique to certain environments, situations, and persons or groups, and individuals may respond to the same stressor in different ways.
In helping nurse managers to manage their time, the chief nursing officer suggests that they: a. maintain a perfectionistic attitude. b. set up a complaint list. c. have good negotiation skills. d. have good information literacy skills.
ANS: D Time can be saved by using information technology effectively, as it assists with effective data retrieval and information gathering and with communication related to a variety of needs in the management setting.
Time management is very essential for the nurse manager. Which of the following is not a good time-management technique? a. Decide what not to do. b. Learn to say "No." c. Learn to delegate. d. Break down your workload into smaller, manageable tasks.
ANS: D To manage time successfully, it is important to break down your workload into smaller, manageable tasks. Developing PERT and Gantt charts will aid in dealing with larger, complex projects. Both charts can be used to outline how an individual will approach a large project.
What patients would most likely be covered under Medicare? a. Jim, who lives on the street and has occasional infections b. Alysha, who is on social assistance and has a 5-year-old daughter with frequent ear infections c. Karen, a housewife, 45 years of age, whose husband recently abandoned the family d. Dan, who is 68 years of age and in good health
ANS: D Medicare is a federal government program for individuals over 65 and with certain permanent illnesses, such as end-stage renal disease. Medicaid provides financing of health care for the medically indigent.
As a nurse manager, you have been asked to assist in designing a subacute facility for open heart patients who require further complex care after hospitalization. In setting up the facility, what would require reassessment? a. Patients admitted to the facility must have adequate health insurance to cover the services provided. b. A local nurse education program asks you if nursing students can gain clinical experience with recovering surgical patients in the facility. c. Public funding will be provided to enable care of patients who have an ordinary course of recovery. d. The facility is an older house that is more than 30 minutes away from the acute care center.
ANS: D Because of the types of patients being accepted for care and the distance of the subacute facility from acute care, emergency response and seamless transfer issues in the event of an unanticipated crisis must be addressed. As a nurse manager, an important part of your position may be assisting to develop strategies to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks in this situation.
The Wellington Mental Health Institute is fully accredited by the AOA and not directly by the CMS. This means that the Wellington facility: a. cannot accept mental health patients who are Medicare beneficiaries. b. can care for only Medicaid and not Medicare beneficiaries. c. has not met the standards set by the CMS as determined by an external review panel. d. has been reviewed and accredited by the AOA, which is a deeming authority for CMS.
ANS: D CMS accreditation or external review of an organization's compliance with the standards set by the CMS can be conducted by the AOA, which is a deeming authority for CMS.
You are a nurse manager in a facility that is part of a national system of specialized hospitals that provide services to children and that is funded and managed through a religious charity organization. This system emphasizes compassionate, faith-based care. What level of consolidated system is represented in this example? a. First level b. Second level c. Fourth level d. Fifth level
ANS: D Consolidated systems tend to be organized into five levels. The fifth level involves special interest groups that own and operate units along religious lines, teaching interests, or related special interests that drive their activities. In this example, the facilities are funded and managed by a religious organization that provides care that is congruent with its particular faith-based values.
What is an example of an HMO? a. Nurse practitioners are paid promptly at discounted fees for each service rendered at a women's health clinic. b. Physicians in a large urban center are reimbursed for visits made to their clients. c. Physicians are paid for each service delivered to enrolled patients through a prepaid plan. d. Patients pay fixed annual fees for ambulatory care services, regardless of actual utilization of health services.
ANS: D Fee-for-service systems provide compensation to healthcare providers in group practices based on fee-for-service, which in PPQs means that fees are paid promptly but at a discounted rate. HMOs are configurations of healthcare agencies that provide health maintenance and services for enrolled patients for a fee that is preestablished regardless of utilization of service.
To prepare for the orientation of newly hired nurses, the nurse manager plans a presentation outlining the concept of healthcare networks. Healthcare networks are: a. units that provide only primary care services. b. owned by the institutions. c. a feature of all public institutions. `d. units that serve large populations.
ANS: D Healthcare networks are interconnected units. Their aim is serving large regional populations.
A nursing informatics specialist hired by Blue Cross/Blue Shield Insurance System (a form of third-party payers benefit package for a prepaid fee that uses specific standards to approve a period of time for the use of inpatient and community health services) is participating in: a. critical pathways. b. healthcare networks. c. health maintenance organizations. d. managed care.
ANS: D Managed care strives to contain costs (e.g., through limitation of time in care) while maintaining quality. Managed care combines care delivery with financing and provides comprehensive services for a fixed prepaid fee. Group practice plans take various forms. One form has a centralized administration that directs and pays salaries for physician practice (e.g., HMOs).
A nurse manager working for a not-for-profit organization should be familiar with the regulations that impact the organization. Not-for-profit organizations: a. pay dividends to stockholders. b. can refuse clients who are unable to pay. c. have no paid employees. d. pay no taxes.
ANS: D Not-for-profit organizations, often referred to as voluntary organizations, are controlled by voluntary boards and provide services to both paying and charity clients. Funds are redirected toward maintenance and growth as opposed to profit shares for stockholders. Historically, non-profit organizations have been exempt from paying taxes as they commit to providing an important community service.
You are the nurse manager for a not-for-profit health service for the homeless and for drug users in an impoverished neighborhood. As the manager, your concern about sustainability is related to: a. the possibility of violence. b. an increase in prescription drugs available for abuse. c. decisions of the public board. d. an increase in uncompensated care events.
ANS: D Public and nonprofit hospitals are tax exempt and have a concomitant responsibility to provide mandated community service such as delivering care to the poor and indigent. To keep a nonprofit status, facilities must make a good-faith effort to provide community service and charity care. Nonprofit organizations located in impoverished urban and rural areas are often economically disadvantaged by the amount of uncompensated care that they provide.
As a nurse manager, you have been asked to be part of a design team for health services that have vertical integration. In planning for these services, your team will design a proposal that will: a. cluster like services together, such as outpatient clinics for the care of children with various developmental and medical needs. b. plan for the smooth transition of patients from the emergency services department to other units in the hospital. c. ensure that funding follows the patient from acute care to long-term care services. d. bring together acute care, ambulatory, home care, and palliative care services for the management of patients diagnosed with cancer.
ANS: D When organizations align to provide a full array or continuum of services, the arrangement is referred to as vertical integration. Benefits attributed to vertical integration include enhanced coordination of services, efficiency, and customer services.
You have been offered a position as a head nurse in the ED. You understand that: a. You have stature and power by accepting the position. b. You have stature but no power at this point in your position. c. As a result of your position, you will need to keep much knowledge to yourself. d. Knowledge is assumed as a result of your position.
B
Your colleague, Mary, a recent graduate announces one day that she intends to leave nursing in 3 to 4 months to pursue a position in marketing. While at your agency, she plans to give patients excellent care and to learn as much as she can, because "Who knows? Nursing is a great job with a great pay and I may return someday." Mary's statements most accurately exemplify which orientation to the concept of nursing? Nursing as a(n): a. Profession. b. Occupation. c. Flexible discipline. d. Career with off and on ramps.
B
A nurse manager is experiencing poor staff morale on her unit. While participating in a baccalaureate course, the nurse manager had learned that one of the reasons nurses lack power today is probably because of the past. In the early decades of the profession, nurses lacked power because: a. Nurses freely chose to defer to physicians and administrators with more education. b. Women lacked legal, social, and political power because of legal and cultural barriers. c. The first nursing licensure laws prohibited nurses from making most decisions. d. Nurses astutely recognized the risks of grabbing too much power too soon.
B
Amy has worked in the dialysis unit on staff for about 12 years. She is frequently consulted by other nursing staff regarding protocols and policies on the unit. What type of power is Amy using? a. Position power b. Expert power c. Personal power d. Competency power
B
Nurses who engage in in-fighting, seek physician support against nursing colleagues, and avoid membership in nursing organizations: a. Refuse to believe that they are acting like members of groups that suffer socioeconomic oppression. b. Do not understand how their failure to exercise power can limit the power of the whole profession. c. Purposefully choose to exercise their power in the workplace through indirect means. d. Suffer from learned helplessness as a result of abuse by powerful nurse executives.
B
The institution where you are a nurse manager has resisted the adoption of a new document management software, citing cost as a concern. You meet with other nurse managers who are in favor of the software and prepare a proposal to take to the senior executive with the goal of persuading the executive to adopt the software. This is an example of: a. Collaboration. b. A coalition. c. Networking. d. Policy building.
B
Two nurses approach their manager about a conflict regarding the next month's schedule. The nurses are talking loudly and at the same time. The manager most effectively uses communication skills to resolve the conflict by: a. Taking both nurses aside, separately and then together, and charging them with resolving the problem without her direct intervention. b. Listening to each nurse speak to the other without interruption and asking clarifying questions to help them resolve the issue themselves. c. Separating the nurses, instructing each to decide how the problem can be resolved, and meeting with them the next day. d. Calling an emergency scheduling committee meeting and asking volunteers to resolve the conflict between the two nurses.
B
A manager relies on his director (immediate supervisor) for advice about enrolling in graduate school to prepare for a career as a nurse executive. The director may exercise what kinds of power in the relationship with the manager in this advisory situation? a. Expert, coercive, and referent b. Reward, connection, and information c. Referent, expert, and information d. Reward, referent, and information
C
A nurse manager recognizes the need to expand her professional network as she begins a job search for a middle-management position. Which of the following actions is least likely to expand her job-searching network? a. Reviewing her address book or card file for names and phone numbers of former colleagues who are now in middle-management positions b. Making an appointment to meet with a former instructor from her graduate program in nursing administration c. Making a long overdue return call to a former colleague who is now a chief nurse executive d. Attending a state-level conference for nurse managers and executives and attending informal luncheons and receptions
C
Despite repeated invitations by his colleagues to become involved in regional and state nursing practice committees, Tom refuses. His reason is that "nursing committees rarely get anything worthwhile done because of politics and conflicts." According to the text, Tom's view of involvement: a. Is rare in nursing today. b. Reflects a fear of power. c. Reflects the essential process of power. d. Reflects empowerment and capacity to make his own decisions.
C
One day, at coffee, your co-worker suggests that you and she sit with unit members of the hospital research committee. She suggests that this would be an excellent way to get to know people who share her interest in research. Her actions are an example of: a. Mentorship. b. Politics. c. Networking. d. Empowerment.
C
Politics is usually: a. Confined to legislatures. b. Seen in dysfunctional workplaces. c. Found in all social organizations. d. A representation of self-interest.
C
Susan, an RN in the ED, would like to pursue leadership roles in her career. She is frustrated that others in her working environment seem to pay little attention to her creative ideas or place her in informal leadership positions. As her colleague, you want to provide her with helpful feedback. Which of the following statements will provide feedback as to how she might communicate power and demonstrate that she is capable of handling other leadership responsibilities? a. "I find your soft voice and manners very reassuring and calming to patients." b. "Try using a wider vocabulary and big words so that people will think that you are knowledgeable." c. "At times, you tend to slump and avoid eye contact when you are talking with colleagues and families." d. "Don't worry about what others think of you. If you feel like saying something, say it, even if it hurts other people's feelings."
C
A nurse belongs to several professional organizations, serving on a state-level committee of one group and on two task forces at work. The nurse is committed to a range of health issues. This nurse exemplifies which level of political activism in nursing? a. Gladiator b. Buy-in c. Self-interest d. Political sophistication
D
Which of the following accurately represents the concept of political activism? a. Meghan, an ER supervisor, encourages staff to write letters to the local health board, protesting closure of the ER and loss of 30 full-time jobs. b. Sarah refuses involvement in her professional organization but is heavily involved in the Little League organization to which her son belongs. c. Because of her influential contributions to position papers on health care, Roberta is asked to let her name stand for election as chair of the local organization of gerontology nurse practitioners, who are lobbying for increased certification standards. d. Sondra volunteers to run for office in her state nursing organization because of her concern about the underrepresentation of expertise from her area of nursing practice.
D
Which of the following interactions is MOST consistent with the idea of networking? a. Meet with the same colleagues daily to have coffee and share concerns about the workplace and stories about colleagues. b. Join an online workplace forum to gain ideas about how to handle workplace conflict. c. Suggest that you and a new team member meet after work for coffee to review unit guidelines. d. Join a nurse executive informal lunch meeting to meet other executives for support and for sharing ideas of expertise.
D
Which of the following is the best example of skilled negotiation? a. Linda, the manager on pediatrics, takes a proposal to her supervisor, outlining the benefits of a walk-in preoperative area for children. b. Kim, RN, asks for leave to pursue a semester of full-time study in her graduate program. She proposes to accept less popular rotations during peak vacation time, in return. c. George, the head nurse in ER, asks for additional staff for his department and points out the benefits of being able to keep patients longer. d. Jerry speaks with his supervisor about his supervisor's concerns related to bedside reporting before presenting a proposal to change this process.
D
