Chapter 9 - Organizations, Power, and Professional Empowerment

Communities and regulatory agencies continually challenge hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home health companies to enhance, improve, or change care delivery and the care environment to ensure safe, high-quality care. Which factors are important in improving a hospital's care environment? 1. Adequate staffing 2. Collegial relationships among staff 3. Emphasis on staff development 4. All of the above

Answer: 4

If you are employed at a hospital owned by a corporation listed on the stock market, in which category does your facility belong? 1. Publicly (govt) supported 2. Voluntary, not-for-profit 3. For-profit 4. All of the above

Answer: 3 For-profit hospitals are corporately owned and listed on the stock market. Decisions are driven by the shareholders

Creating a culture of safety requires organizational commitment to preventing harm. Which of the following is not a key feature of a culture of safety? 1. Provision of adequate resources to provide care and service 2. Use of interprofessional collaboration to solve problems and assess risk 3. Adherence to staffing ratios 4. encourages the reporting of errors and near misses

Answer: 3 Although staffing ratios may improve patient safety, they are not required to ensure a culture

You have been asked to serve on your unit practice council. This is an important role and one that you are excited to perform. What should you know about professional governance so that you are prepared for this work? Professional governance in nursing involves: 1. Working longer hours 2. Attending a lot of meetings 3 Nurses setting nursing standards for daily practice 4. Changing the organization's culture

Answer: 3 Nurses set nursing standards of practice for their organization. Because you are closest to the bedside, you see and experience the realities of clinical practice. Your input ensures that clinical practice standards are relevant and that nursing care is delivered in a safe, high-quality manner.

Which of the following is a characteristic of a bureaucratic organization? 1. Organic structure 2. Flexible teams 3. Rigid unit structures 4. Self-correction and self-control

Answer: 3 Rigid unit structures are characteristic of a bureaucratic organization. They are very organized and formal. Organizational charts depict each department, and decision making is a very formal, organized process

Organizational culture is best defined as 1. the stated vision and mission of an organization 2. Policies and procedures 3. The type of decor that was chosen for the facility 4. An enduring set of shared values and beliefs

Answer: 4 Shared values and beliefs are the foundation of organizational culture

What is the best explanation of authority? 1. It is position dependent 2. It is based on the ability to lead others 3. It is expertise-driven 4. It resides primarily in the clients served

Answer: 1 Authority is position dependent. It is assigned based on the organization's hierarchy. For example, a nurse manager has authority over the staff nurses on that unit. Unless a job description or the person hiring requires expertise, leadership, or collaboration with this manager's staff, authority is entirely dependent on where the position falls on the organizational chart. The higher the position, the more authority

There are numerous sources of power in an organization. Several are available to nurses. Which one is not? 1. Authority 2. Reward 3. Control of information 4. Coercion

Answer: 1 Nurses do have the authority to control clinical resources and make patient care decisions by virtue of their position and licensure

Several of your colleagues are going to join the American Nurses Association (ANA). YOu know the annual dues are a little more than you can afford right now, but you want to learn more. Your friends think that joining the ANA will help empower them. How do professional organizations empower nurses? 1. They represent nurses in the political arena 2. They equalize power between employees and staff 3. They provide opportunities for promotion 4. They provide health insurance

Answer: 1 Professional organizations create a collective voice for nurses that can be stronger and more likely to be heard, especially at the national, state, and local levels. Your membership and participation let your voice be heard.

Nurses who feel empowered can make significant contributions to a health-care organization. Feeling empowered includes feeling as if you make a difference, that colleagues value your opinion, and that your voice is important. What is essential to nurse empowerment? 1. Belonging to a professional organziation 2. Participating on a unit practice council 3. Reasonable work assignments 4. A rewards and recognition program

Answer: 2 Direct control over work and the ability to influence clinical and organizational decisions are essential to feeling empowered . Participating on a unit practice council is an opportunity to contribute to the nursing unit and even the organization, make a difference in clinical practice, and know that her opinion and ideas are valued and important