MNGMT CH. 9

Which statements exemplify the attributes of critical thinking essential to nurses? Select all that apply. 1. "I am always curious about why we do things the way we do." 2. "I think we need to hurry up and make a decision." 3. "Can you help me understand your perspective a little better?" 4. "I don't think that your concern is necessarily pertinent to this issue." 5. "I don't think I can make that decision until I have more information."

1. "I am always curious about why we do things the way we do." 3. "Can you help me understand your perspective a little better?" 5. "I don't think I can make that decision until I have more information."

Part of the facility's performance evaluation is based on the nurse's strength in the three types of decisions. During a nurse manager's performance evaluation, the supervisor says, "You are very good at adaptive decisions, but you need to be more precise in routine decisions. When the situation calls for really innovative decisions, you do not seem sure of yourself." How should the manager interpret this information? Select all that apply. 1. "I am not following the policies and rules well." 2. "I should review the procedure manual." 3. "I'm good at using my previous experiences to guide my decisions." 4. "I am strongest in making decisions when the problems are very unusual or unclear." 5. "I make good decisions when the situation is novel."

1. "I am not following the policies and rules well." 2. "I should review the procedure manual." 3. "I'm good at using my previous experiences to guide my decisions."

Currently, clients on a unit are bathed in the morning between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. The nursing staff is contemplating changing that routine to bathing clients in the evening between 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Which statement reflects an underlying assumption that might affect the staff's ability to think critically about this change? Select all that apply. 1. "The day shift just wants to shift work onto the evening shift." 2. "Everyone likes to bathe right before bed." 3. "I read a research article that reported that clients sleep better if they have been bathed right before bedtime." 4. "The physician staff will be upset if we change our morning routine." 5. "If we let them change this, they will want to make lots of other changes, too."

1. "The day shift just wants to shift work onto the evening shift." 2. "Everyone likes to bathe right before bed." 4. "The physician staff will be upset if we change our morning routine." 5. "If we let them change this, they will want to make lots of other changes, too."

Which statements by a nurse in the emergency department are examples of groupthink? Select all that apply. 1. "We've already talked about this enough. We need to present a united front on this issue." 2. "The medical unit nurses won't like this decision because it is too much work." 3. "Let's all vote yes on this so we can get back to work." 4. "We need to consider the workload of the intensive care unit nurses." 5. "Does anyone else have any ideas to discuss?"

1. "We've already talked about this enough. We need to present a united front on this issue." 2. "The medical unit nurses won't like this decision because it is too much work." 3. "Let's all vote yes on this so we can get back to work."

Which statement describes the primary difference between group and individual decision making, besides the number of individuals involved? Select all that apply. 1. A decision made by a group is often better than a decision made by one person. 2. A decision made by an individual results in greater commitment. 3. Groups can provide more input into the process. 4. A decision made by a group can create a greater obligation to achieve results. 5. Routine decisions are more often made by individuals.

1. A decision made by a group is often better than a decision made by one person. 3. Groups can provide more input into the process. 4. A decision made by a group can create a greater obligation to achieve results. 5. Routine decisions are more often made by individuals.

A disagreement has arisen between two staff nurses. Both have discussed the situation with the manager. The manager feels that that problem is likely self-solving. How should the manager approach this situation? Select all that apply. 1. Allow some time to pass to see if the situation resolves. 2. Support both nurses as they work through this issue. 3. Provide any resources the nurses may need to help solve the problem. 4. Intervene if the problem begins to impact client care. 5. Ignore the situation.

1. Allow some time to pass to see if the situation resolves. 2. Support both nurses as they work through this issue. 3. Provide any resources the nurses may need to help solve the problem. 4. Intervene if the problem begins to impact client care.

The nurse is using critical thinking skills to decide which of several options is the best. Which question is most important for the nurse to take into consideration? 1. Are there different situational effects or contexts to be considered? 2. How has the problem usually been handled? 3. What is the easiest and least expensive alternative? 4. Can the problem be solved using the nursing process?

1. Are there different situational effects or contexts to be considered?

The nurse manager is challenged to find an innovative way to adequately staff the unit and provide quality nursing care. Which ability would be most useful to the nurse in this situation? 1. Creativity 2. Problem solving 3. Brainstorming 4. Decision making

1. Creativity

A nurse manager is committed to establishing an environment that supports critical thinking and creativity. What strategies would help in this effort? Select all that apply. 1. Provide opportunities for staff to interact with nurses from outside the facility. 2. Give the nurses freedom to design their work environment. 3. Create a spreadsheet for nurses to complete describing their creative efforts. 4. Assign each nurse 15 minutes during a staff meeting to talk about his or her creative efforts. 5. Be receptive to ideas even if they seem strange at the beginning.

1. Provide opportunities for staff to interact with nurses from outside the facility. 2. Give the nurses freedom to design their work environment. 5. Be receptive to ideas even if they seem strange at the beginning.

The nurse manager needs to cover vacation shifts and must decide whether to use agency nurses or the PRN nursing pool. The manager must decide between the two choices. Decision making includes which steps? Select all that apply. 1. Seek alternatives. 2. Make a decision. 3. Define the problem. 4. Weigh the criteria. 5. Troubleshoot.

1. Seek alternatives. 4. Weigh the criteria. 5. Troubleshoot.

A nurse manager's supervisor reports that many staff members have complained about the manager's rigidity. What situations reflect this rigidity? Select all that apply. 1. The manager has historically used trial and error as a decision-making strategy. 2. The manager takes unnecessary risks when staffing the unit. 3. The manager is not concerned when staff members arrive late to work. 4. The manager uses old ways of thinking to solve the day-to-day issues of the unit. 5. The manager does not consider the advice of the assistant manager when making a decision.

1. The manager has historically used trial and error as a decision-making strategy. 4. The manager uses old ways of thinking to solve the day-to-day issues of the unit.

Which situation requires an adaptive decision? 1. The nurse manager discovers that two clients require the use of a new piece of equipment and that the one the hospital has is the only one in the state. 2. The nurse has made a medication error on an experimental medication. 3. The nursing student makes an error when changing a client dressing. 4. The nurse manager scheduled too many nurses for the client census on the night shift, and all of the nurses scheduled have already been asked to take a low-census unpaid day off this month.

1. The nurse manager discovers that two clients require the use of a new piece of equipment and that the one the hospital has is the only one in the state.

Which statement indicates understanding how a nurse could improve personal decision-making skills? 1. "We should gather a group together to make important unit decisions to ensure fairness." 2. "I should practice making decisions by developing potential solutions and then choosing one." 3. "We can make a decision and then ask for input from others to make sure it was the right choice." 4. "I know I will never be able to improve my decision-making skills because I am not a strong person."

2. "I should practice making decisions by developing potential solutions and then choosing one."

A nurse believes that milk is part of the healthy adult's diet. The nurse frequently offers milk to adults as a between-meal beverage. This action is based on which concept? 1. Evidence 2. An underlying assumption 3. An alternative perspective 4. An inquiring attitude

2. An underlying assumption

A nurse working in a rehabilitation center notices that clients frequently asking for something to drink. Which response indicates the use of creativity in finding a solution to this problem? 1. Calling local beverage distributors to inquire about service pricing 2. Asking all employees to write down their ideas about a solution 3. Determining what type of drinks most clients might want 4. Encouraging clients to bring a drink from home

2. Asking all employees to write down their ideas about a solution

A nursing task force has been created to determine whether a new model of differentiated practice would be more effective than the current model. The task force analyzes data as a basis to examine alternatives. Which activity does this represent? 1. Group problem solving 2. Critical thinking 3. Groupthink 4. Satisficing

2. Critical thinking

A serious disagreement has arisen between two staff nurses. The unit manager elects not to make a decision regarding the disagreement until more evidence is collected. Which part of the nursing process does this manager's critical thinking reflect? 1. Assessment 2. Diagnosis 3. Planning 4. Evaluation

2. Diagnosis

A nurse on a mission trip needs a urinary catheter for an infant. The nurse only has a pediatric feeding tube and must think creatively. The nurse knows the creative process includes which stages? Select all that apply. 1. Communication 2. Incubation 3. Verification 4. Innovation 5. Insight

2. Incubation 3. Verification 5. Insight

Although the postoperative assessment of a client reveals no abnormalities, the nurse believes the client's condition is deteriorating and orders frequent vital signs. This intervention was made on the basis of which type of problem solving? Select all that apply. 1. Experimentation 2. Intuition 3. Satisficing 4. Past experience 5. Trial-and-error method

2. Intuition 4. Past experience

A nurse manager who is retiring is helping the new manager learn about the position. As part of this education, the current manager has the new manager make all decisions that can be made under certainty. What conditions will these decisions have in common? Select all that apply. 1. There is risk associated with the decision. 2. The alternatives are known. 3. The conditions of each alternative are clear. 4. Possible consequences of alternatives are not known. 5. The decision is complex and dynamic.

2. The alternatives are known. 3. The conditions of each alternative are clear.

A newly licensed nurse working on a unit committee challenges every detail of a proposal the committee is developing. How should other committee members interpret this behavior? 1. This nurse is too inexperienced to realize the behavior is inappropriate. 2. This nurse is learning to be creative. 3. This nurse believes that new nurses are more knowledgeable than those who have worked several years. 4. This nurse misunderstands the work of the committee.

2. This nurse is learning to be creative.

Which statement by the formal leader of a nursing unit reflects the personality required to energize the staff and promote creativity? Select all that apply. 1. "I would like to change the format we use for shift report, but I'm afraid it would upset staff members who have been here a long time." 2. "This is the decision I have made, and there is no room for discussion." 3. "I would like to thank everyone for your hard work and dedication while we have been short staffed." 4. "I am certain that our new assignment system is going to make the workload more equitable." 5. "I know this week has been rough. I feel a little like sandpaper myself."

3. "I would like to thank everyone for your hard work and dedication while we have been short staffed." 4. "I am certain that our new assignment system is going to make the workload more equitable." 5. "I know this week has been rough. I feel a little like sandpaper myself."

The nursing faculty would like to incorporate problem-based learning into the curriculum. Which action is essential? 1. Obtain funding for a simulation mannequin. 2. Write standardized scripts for volunteers who will portray clients. 3. Add more information to existing care plans as the study unfolds. 4. Assign client care debate topics to teams of three or four students.

3. Add more information to existing care plans as the study unfolds.

A newly promoted nurse manager would like staff to solve problems without relying on preconceived ideas. How should the manager role-model this ability? 1. When disagreements occur on the unit, the manager privately asks the dissenters to be silent about the issue at meetings. 2. Tell staff members that they must present one opinion regarding the solutions they desire. 3. Demonstrate a genuine desire to find our why there is dissention. 4. Develop "tunnel vision" when it comes to problems on the unit.

3. Demonstrate a genuine desire to find our why there is dissention.

At the beginning of a brainstorming session, the manager lists the rules to be followed. Which rule should be included and enforced? 1. Do not suggest any solution that is prohibitively expensive. 2. Suggest only ideas that the group has not already tried. 3. Do not critique any ideas presented. 4. Limit the session to the first 15 ideas.

3. Do not critique any ideas presented.

The nursing group has been charged with the task of solving a patient care problem on the unit. Which step should this group take first in this process? 1. Investigate what has already been tried to solve the issue. 2. Brainstorm about potential solutions. 3. Gather information to define the problem. 4. Categorize information in order of reliability.

3. Gather information to define the problem.

The nurse manager generally uses a stepwise method to arrive at decisions that are logical and that serve to maximize the achievement of the desired objective. Which decision-making model does this manager use? 1. Political decision-making model 2. Experimentation process 3. Rational decision-making model 4. Trial-and-error method

3. Rational decision-making model

Which action by the nurse manager is a demonstration of satisficing? 1. The nurse manager works with the staffing schedule until all requested days off are honored. 2. The nurse manager reposts a job opening because no applicants were a good fit for the current unit staff. 3. The nurse manager agrees with a proposed budget that does not provide badly needed new client beds. 4. The nurse manager insists on firing a nurse who is chronically late to work.

3. The nurse manager agrees with a proposed budget that does not provide badly needed new client beds.

The nurse manager has scheduled a series of meetings with employees to solve a unit problem. The manager purposefully created a two-week gap in the meetings to allow which portion of the creative process to occur? 1. Farsight 2. Verification 3. Preparation 4. Incubation

4. Incubation

The nurse has determined that in order to provide the highest quality care it is important to become more creative. What is the most effective way for the nurse to increase creativity? 1. Watch others implement creative solutions. 2. Work with a group to implement a creative solution. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of creative solutions. 4. Practice the steps of the process as often as possible.

4. Practice the steps of the process as often as possible.

The nurse manager is calculating the cost of offering two bonus incentives to nursing staff for covering call-ins for sickness. After reviewing the statistics, the manager finds that option A is more cost-effective than option B but decides to implement option B because it seems safer. Which option best describes the basis of this decision? 1. Probability 2. Probability analysis 3. Objective probability 4. Subjective probability

4. Subjective probability

A group of nurses has been convened to solve a problem. As the first step in this process, the group leader asks for a definition of the problem to be solved. Which statement reflects the best problem statement? 1. Emergency department nurses do not make professional client handoff reports. 2. Long-term care facility nurses lack the education to make complete assessments prior to client transfers. 3. Housekeepers are getting sloppy about cleaning rooms. 4. Unit clerks have made 10 transcription errors in the last 6 months.

4. Unit clerks have made 10 transcription errors in the last 6 months.

What does a decision grid allow the decision maker to do? A) Examine alternatives visually and compare each against the same criteria B) Quantify information C) Plot a decision over time D) Predict when events must take place to complete a project on time

A) Examine alternatives visually and compare each against the same criteria

If decision making is triggered by a problem with what does it end? A) An alternative problem B) A chosen course of action C) An action that guarantees success D) A restatement of the solution

B) A chosen course of action

How do administrative man managers make the majority of their decisions? A) After gathering all the facts B) In a manner good enough to solve the problem C) In a rational, logical manner D) After generating all the alternatives possible

B) In a manner good enough to solve the problem

What effect of organizational power on decision making is often reflected in the tendency of staff? A) Making decisions independent of organizational values B) Not trusting others to decide C) Desiring personal power D) Having private beliefs that are separate from corporate ones

D) Having private beliefs that are separate from corporate ones

Why do our values often cause personal conflict in decision making? A) Some values are not realistic or healthy B) Not all values are of equal worth C) Our values remain unchanged over time D) Our values often collide with one another

D) Our values often collide with one another

One of the nurses on the unit said, "Male patients have a low threshold for pain." This is an example of what type of illogical thinking? A) Affirming the consequences B) Arguing from analogy C) Deductive reasoning D) Overgeneralizing

D) Overgeneralizing

What is heuristics? a. discrete, unconscious process to allow individuals to solve problems quickly b. set of rules to encourage learners to discover solutions for themselves c. formal process and structure in the decision-making process d. trial-and-error method or rules-of-thumb approach

a. discrete, unconscious process to allow individuals to solve problems quickly

What is a weakness of the traditional problem-solving method? a. its need for implementation time b. its lack of a step requiring evaluation of results c. its failure to gather sufficient data d. its failure to evaluate alternatives

a. its need for implementation time

Which statement demonstrates a characteristic of a critical thinker? SATA a. since that didn't work effectively, let's try something different b. the solution has to be something the patient is willing to do c. i'll talk to the patient's primary care giver about the problem d. maybe there is no new solution to this particular problem

a. since that didn't work effectively, let's try something different b. the solution has to be something the patient is willing to do c. i'll talk to the patient's primary care giver about the problem

Which situation is characteristic of the weakness of the nursing process? a. the frequent absence of well-written patience-focused objectives b. the confusion created by the existence of numerous nursing diagnoses c. the ever-increasing need for effective assessment skills required of the nurse d. the amount of nursing staff required to implement the patients' plan of care

a. the frequent absence of well-written patience-focused objectives

What statement regarding management decision-making aides is true? a. they are subject to human error b. they ensure good decision making c. they eliminate uncertainty and risk d. they tend to say management time

a. they are subject to human error

Which of the following statements is true regarding decision making? a. scientific methods provide identical decisions by different individuals for the same problems b. decisions are greatly influenced by each person's value system c. personal beliefs can be adjusted for when the scientific approach to problem solving is used d. past experience has little to do with the quality of the decision

b. decisions are greatly influenced by each person's value system

What does knowledge about good decision making lead one to believe? a. good decision makers are usually right-brain, intuitive thinkers b. effective decision makers are sensitive to the situation and to others c. goo decisions are usually made by left-brain, logical thinkers d. good decision making requires analytical rather than creative processes

b. effective decision makers are sensitive to the situation and to others

Which problem-solving learning strategy provides the learner with the most realistic, risk-free learning environment? a. case studies b. simulation c. problem-based learning d. grand rounds

b. simulation

What is the value of using a structured approach to problem solving for the novice nurse? a. facilitates effective time management b. supports the acquisition of clinical reasoning c. supplements the orientation process d. encourages the professional autonomy

b. supports the acquisition of clinical reasoning

Which statement concerning the role of the powerful in organizational decision making is true? a. they exert little influence on decisions that are made b. they make decisions made that are in congruence with their own values c. they allow others to make the decisions however they wish d. they make all the important decision with consideration to others

b. they make decisions made that are in congruence with their own values

What is a characteristic of a left-brain thinker? a. creative b. intuitive c. analytical d. holistic

c. analytical

What is the advantage of using a payoff when applicable? a. it assures the correct decision when dealing with financial situations b. it is very helpful when quantitative information about the topic is available c. it assists in the visualization of the available historic and current data d. it is easy to construct even for the novice decision maker

c. it assists in the visualization of the available historic and current data

What statement is true regarding decision making? a. it is an analysis of a situation b. it is closely related to evaluation c. it involves choosing between courses of action d. it is dependent upon finding the cause of a problem

c. it involves choosing between courses of action

What statement is true concerning critical thinking? A. it is a simple approach to decision making b. it is narrower in scope than decision making c. it requires reasoning and creative analysis d. it is a synonym for the problem-solving process

c. it requires reasoning and creative analysis

What type of brain dominance created a management style that is highly organized and detail oriented? a. upper left brain b. upper right brain c. lower left brain d. lower right brain

c. lower left brain

What is the best definition of decision making? a. the planning and process of management b. the evaluation phase of the executive role c. one step in the problem-solving process d. require to justify the need for scarce items

c. one step in the problem-solving process

What influences the quality of a decision the most often? a. the decision maker's immediate superior b. the type of decision that needs to be made c. questions asked and alternatives generated d. the time of day the decision is made

c. questions asked and alternatives generated

Which statement is true regarding an economic man style manager? a. lacks complete knowledge and generates few alternatives b. makes decisions that may not be ideal but result in solutions that have an adequate outcome c. makes most management decisions using the administrative man model of decision making d. these managers gather as much information as possible and generate many alternatives

d. these managers gather as much information as possible and generate many alternatives

What needs to be considered in evaluating the quality of one's decisions? a. is evaluation necessary when using a good decision-making model? b. can evaluation be eliminated if the problem is resolves? c. will the effectiveness of the decision maker be supported? d. will the evaluation be helpful in increasing one's decision-making skills?

d. will the evaluation be helpful in increasing one's decision-making skills?