Chapter 11 Initiating the Leadership and Management Role

15 All performance evaluations, whether formal or informal, should be based on appropriate standards of performance. In the context of a performance appraisal, which of the following are appropriate performance criteria? (Select all that apply.) A) The manager's experience base B) The nurse's written job description C) The institution's policies and procedures D) Nursing standards of practice E) The nurse's career goals

ANS: B) The nurse's written job description C) The institution's policies and procedures D) Nursing standards of practice

5.A nursing student finds that she has difficulty with procrastination. Which of the following is a recommended guideline to help this student manage her time? A) Start working on a project for 10 minutes, and quit if tired or bored. B) Schedule 2 or 3 days a week in which to concentrate her tasks. C) Avoid spending the time it takes to make to-do lists. D) Schedule down-time first and work second.

ANS: A Start working on a project for 10 minutes, and quit if tired or bored.

1. Which of the following statements accurately reflects the nurse's responsibility for patient outcomes in today's workplace? A) Tasks can be delegated, but accountability cannot be delegated. B) In today's environment, authority is more often given to management. C) Most nurses who are accountable have the authority to affect the situation or effect change. D) Nurses are protected against legal action being taken in cases of malpractice in the hospital

ANS: A Tasks can be delegated, but accountability cannot be delegated.

14.It has been a frantic morning on the hospital unit and the nurse is unsure whether she will be able to complete her required tasks on time before her scheduled lunch break. Which of the following is the nurse's most appropriate response to this problem? A) Skip lunch or trade her lunch break with a colleague who is scheduled for a later break. B) Determine if more of her tasks could be delegated to another member of the care team. C) Ask the unit manager for advice. D) Explain to a colleague that she will likely be unable to complete her required work.

ANS: B Determine if more of her tasks could be delegated to another member of the care team.

3. What is the primary objective of a performance appraisal? A) Establish written documentation of incompetent behavior to facilitate dismissal B) Maintain and develop employee performance C) Establish criteria for accreditation standards D) Determine who receives pay raises

ANS: B Maintain and develop employee performance

12. A patient is receiving a transfusion of packed red blood cells and consequently requires frequent vital signs. A set of vital signs was just due during the nurse's scheduled lunch break and so a colleague took the patient's vital signs. After returning from lunch, the nurse confirmed with the colleague that the scheduled vital signs were taken, to which the colleague replied, "Yes, it seems like I'm covering you a whole lot lately." How should the nurse best respond to the colleague's statement? A) "I don't think that's a fair thing to say because I can't help when a set of vitals are due." B) "If you're implying that I don't pull my weight I think that you're badly mistaken." C) "Well, what goes around comes around, right?" D) "Could you explain what you mean by that?"

ANS: D "Could you explain what you mean by that?"

7.The manager of a hospital unit has unilaterally decided on a change in the way that overtime is distributed among the nursing staff and has followed up this decision with an e-mail to all employees. What leadership style is exemplified by this manager? A) Participative leadership B) Permissive leadership C) Laissez-faire leadership D) Autocratic leadership

ANS: D Autocratic leadership

6. A nursing leader has expressed a desire to foster the characteristics and behaviors associated with transformational leadership. Which of the following actions best demonstrates transformational leadership? A) The leader makes it clear to employees that positive work performance will be rewarded and that sub-standard performance will bring consequences. B) The leader ensures that decisions are based on the consensus of every employee. C) The leader prioritizes the needs of each individual employee over the interests of the larger organization. D) The leader takes action to build trust and relationships between him or her and the employees.

ANS: D The leader takes action to build trust and relationships between him or her and the employees.

13.The nurse manager of a busy medical unit prioritizes effective communication with the employees of the unit. In recent years, an increasing amount of this communication has involved e-mails and text messages. When using these communication media, the nurse should A) take action to ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained. B) "cc" upper management and human resources with all e-mails. C) avoid using a smartphone on the unit whenever possible. D) follow up e-mails with a paper copy of important messages.

ANS:A take action to ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained.

8. Experts have identified a close relationship between the practice of transformational leadership and the empowerment of employees. What action should a nursing leader take to foster employee empowerment? A) Have the performance of each employee appraised by his or her peers rather than by a manager or leader. B) Share information as openly as possible in order to make employees aware of problems. C) Adopt a hands-off approach in order to allow leadership to organically emerge from within the group of employees. D) Eliminate the practice of conducting performance appraisals of employees.

ANS:B Share information as openly as possible in order to make employees aware of problems.

9. Jennifer is a registered nurse who works in a busy emergency department. As one of her goals for the current year, Jennifer has resolved to develop her emotional intelligence. How should Jennifer best meet her goal? A) Try to remove emotion from her clinical decision-making whenever possible. B) Become more assertive when responding to the emotional responses of patients, families, and coworkers. C) Become more aware of the way that her emotions function and how they influence her actions. D) Try to limit her expressions of emotion to times when she is not interacting with others.

ANS:C Become more aware of the way that her emotions function and how they influence her actions.

10. A recent nursing graduate has asked an expert nurse how best to foster her leadership abilities, since she wishes to explore leadership opportunities later in her career. How should the expert nurse best respond? A) "Even if you don't trust a decision that you have to make, act like you chose the best option." B) "Become as specialized as possible in your nursing experience." C) "Develop your interpersonal skills by having a wide variety of interactions." D) "Become as assertive as you can and take every opportunity to guide the behavior of others."

ANS:C "Develop your interpersonal skills by having a wide variety of interactions."

4. Which of the following is a characteristic of an effective performance evaluation system? A) The appraisal system operates outside of the scope of administration. B) Employees do not know in advance who will be evaluating them. C) The final disposition of the appraisal is shared with the employee. D) Evaluation concentrates on the personality of the employee.

ANS:C The final disposition of the appraisal is shared with the employee.

2. Which of the following statements accurately describes a basic guideline for using communication skillfully? A) Managers should communicate how to perform a task even if it is something the subordinate has already learned. B) Managers should not be afraid of making judgmental statements when dealing with a subordinate who has broken policy rules. C) Managers should attempt to formulate a response to an individual who is still speaking to avoid awkward pauses in the conversation. D) Managers should present direction as briefly as possible while still providing adequate data.

ANS:D Managers should present direction as briefly as possible while still providing adequate data.

11. A nurse has responded to a patient's call light for the fourth time in the past hour only to be berated by the patient for taking so long to come to the bedside. Rather than responding in a confrontational tone the nurse has paused to think of the best response to the patient's statements. In doing so, the nurse has exhibited A) self-regulation. B) sympathy. C) manipulation. D) self-strategy.

ANS:D self-regulation.