Leadership Modules Exam 2

Health care reimbursement affects both the operational budget and the departmental budget. FALSE TRUE

True. Rationale: Health care reimbursement directly affects the operational budget and the departmental budget. A variety of payment methods are available and guide patient reimbursement, which will directly affect health care organizational financial planning.

The budget uses numerical data to predict short- and long-term needs of an organization. FALSE TRUE

True. Rationale: The budgeting plan uses numerical data (quantitative data) to predict the short- and long-term needs of an organization; this process provides mechanisms for planning and control within the organization.

A nurse manager is performing a daily assessment of staffing needs. Which types of nursing units can successfully use a predetermined standard of nursing staffing for the patient census? (Select all that apply.) 1. Home care 2. Specialty care units 3. Operating room 4. Emergency department 5. General medical-surgical units

1, 2, 3, 5. Rationale: Predetermined standards of nursing care time and patient number can be used for inpatient hospital units, home care agencies, and operating rooms. Because the census is very highly variable in the emergency department, a predetermined staffing standard cannot be easily used.

A nurse manager is performing a daily assessment of staffing needs. Which data would be needed to calculate the NCH/PPP? (Select all that apply.) 1. Staff on duty for 24 hours from 11 p.m. 2. Census for the entire calendar year 3. Patient census as of midnight on day two 4. Work hours for each staff member on duty 5. Staff on duty for 24 hours from 12 a.m.

1, 3, 4. Rationale: The data needed to calculate the NCH/PPP include the staff on duty for 24 hours from 11 p.m. on day one to 11 p.m. on day two; patient census as of midnight on day two; and the number of hours worked by each staff member on duty. A census for the entire calendar year is not necessary.

A nurse manager is performing a daily assessment of staffing needs. Which statements about calculating the NCH/PPP are most accurate? (Select all that apply.) 1. The total staff for 24 hours is divided by the patient census at 12 a.m. 2. The calculation includes the total staff for any 12-hour shift that day. 3. The calculation should include all members of the nursing staff on duty. 4. The calculation of the NCH/PPP absolutely determines staffing needs. 5. The first step is to calculate the number of staff for the 24-hour period.

1, 3, 5. Rationale: The first step is to calculate the total number of all nursing staff for 24 hours (including all three 8-hour shifts for nursing staff including the ward clerk) and then divide that by the patient census at 12 a.m. on day two. The standard is flexible to be adjusted for the staff mix and patient acuity.

A nurse manager is performing a daily assessment of staffing needs. When determining if staffing adjustments are needed, which data should the current NCH/PPP calculation be compared to? 1. The unit's maximum NCH/PPP 2. An average of the unit's NCH/PPP 3. The budgeted NCH/PPP for the unit 4. The unit's minimum NCH/PPP

3. Rationale: To determine if staffing adjustments are needed, the current NCH/PPP should be compared to the budgeted NCH/PPP for the unit. If the current NCH/PPP is greater than budgeted, staffing must be reduced. If the current NCH/PPP is less than budgeted, staffing must be increased.

A nurse manager is performing a daily assessment of staffing needs. If the current NCH/PPP is greater than the budgeted NCH/PPP for the unit, which action should be implemented to keep staffing on track? 1. The nursing staff should be increased for the coming shift. 2. The nursing staff should remain the same for the current shift. 3. The nursing staff should be reduced for the coming shift. 4. The nursing staff should be reduced for the current shift.

4. Rationale: If the current NCH/PPP is greater than budgeted, staffing must be reduced. If the current NCH/PPP is less than budgeted, staffing must be increased.

It is not necessary for the nurse leader to develop a budget cycle; the emphasis should be on assessing departmental needs. FALSE TRUE

False. Rationale: Although the nurse leader needs to assess departmental needs, he or she must identify the goals of the department and develop a budget cycle that provides the opportunity for the budget to be reviewed and revised as necessary to address changing needs.