Deck 1: The Nature and Challenges of Healthcare HR Management

Question 1

The healthcare share of total employment is __________ percent in the U.S.according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A) 9
B) 11
C) 13
D) 15

Answer 1

11

Question 2

What two things have contributed to the evolution of the HR Management function in healthcare over the last two decades?

A) Employee growth and compensation complexity
B) Need for more efficient and effective HR support, and the increase in HR professionals' training, skills, understanding, and competencies
C) Delegation of administrative tasks and development of HRIS
D) Changes in leadership model and new medical technologies

Answer 2

Need for more efficient and effective HR support, and the increase in HR professionals' training, skills, understanding, and competencies

Question 3

Receptionist,Secretary,and Business office support personnel are all considered __________.

A) Service workers
B) Technical workers
C) Clerical workers
D) First-line supervisors

Answer 3

Clerical workers

Question 4

Types of healthcare organizations include __________.

A) Physician offices and clinics
B) Home Care Agencies
C) Laboratories
D) All of the above

Question 5

What has been the primary impetus behind changes in healthcare in recent years?

A) Federal and state governmental involvement
B) Availability of new technology
C) Shortage of skilled labor
D) Shareholder demand for profits

Question 6

Which of the following is a "driver" of future healthcare that can be predicted with reasonable certainty?

A) Stabilization of cost for healthcare delivery
B) Shift from inpatient to outpatient settings
C) Increasing public opinion ratings
D) Need to deal with the uneven supply of healthcare resources

Question 7

Which of the following trends is true regarding recruitment and retention in healthcare?

A) Healthcare has been offering more attractive wages than other career choices.
B) The relationship between management and employees has been improving due to an increasing threat of unionization.
C) Many women, who have historically chosen health careers, are pursuing other non-health-related career paths.
D) The healthcare workplace is becoming less stressful for care providers due to advances in technology.

Question 8

Over the next 15 years,the U.S.healthcare system will face which of the following critical problems?

A) A shortage of workers
B) Available workers will not have the skills needed for the emerging health system
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B is a critical problem identified by the text

Question 9

Which of the following is not a key area identified in the text regarding the current environment of healthcare?

A) Advances in technology
B) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
C) Shortages of needed personnel
D) Growing numbers of insured persons

Question 10

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations is an accreditation organization concerned with __________.

A) the fair treatment of healthcare employees
B) the compliance with federal employment laws
C) the level of care given to consumers of healthcare
D) the competency and certification requirements of U.S. healthcare workers

Question 11

The demand for nurses is projected to increase significantly in which part(s)of the healthcare system?

A) Independent practice
B) Ambulatory Care
C) Health service business
D) All of the above

Question 12

How does HR need to contribute to the need for managing cost in healthcare organizations?

A) Reducing the level of administrative expense
B) Hiring independent contractors
C) Managing the number and skill mix of employees
D) None of the above

Question 13

The most prominent challenge(s)facing healthcare employers,with regard to human resources is/are __________.

A) Recruitment and retention, as well as managing change
B) Efficient maintenance of medical records
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 14

How is HR impacted by diversity?

A) HR planning and programming needs to help match provider and patient demographics
B) HR professionals must lobby for tolerance for differences amongst employees
C) Recruiting efforts must be targeted towards minority groups
D) HR professionals need to provide foreign language training to its workforce.

Question 15

Of the following positions,which position would generally require the largest number of workers in a hospital?

A) Sterilization personnel
B) Registered nurses
C) Lab technicians
D) Medical transcriptionists

Question 16

__________ is the health profession expected to grow the fastest through 2010.

A) Medical assistants
B) Home health aides
C) Physician assistants
D) Personal care aides

Question 17

Which of the following are recommended solutions to the concern for quality of work life for employees in healthcare organizations?

A) Altering the organization's business hours to accommodate employees with families
B) Offering all employees schedules between 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
C) Providing employees recreation and activity rooms for family visitations
D) Providing on-site day care

Question 18

Which healthcare facilities employ the most healthcare workers?

A) Physicians offices and clinics
B) Hospitals
C) Nursing facilities
D) Dental offices

Question 19

How should HR contribute to the requirement of complying with quality standards?

A) Providing employees with training
B) Monitoring employee performance
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 20

The future will predictably require __________ accountability from healthcare providers.

A) less
B) about the same
C) more
D) an unknown level

Question 21

Helping organizations shape and steer values has historically been part of HR's responsibility,but this responsibility is shifting more and more to upper management.

Question 22

In some areas physicians and surgeons are increasingly working in group medical practices,including clinics,emergency care centers,and ambulatory surgical centers.

Question 23

Unlike other industries,the increase in competition in the healthcare has not led to noticeable price competition because the increases in technology have increased the cost of providing care.

Question 24

JCAHO survey areas include governance,management,medical staff,and nursing.

Question 25

Physicians are difficult to classify in the organizational hierarchy because of the wide variance in specialty areas.

Question 26

Activities performed under Employee and Labor/Management Relations include __________.

A) Employee rights and privacy
B) Incentives
C) Health and wellness
D) Affirmative action

Question 27

Home health care services are provided mainly to those with terminal illnesses.

Question 28

Activities performed under HR Development include __________.

A) HR planning
B) Equal Employment Opportunity
C) Job analysis
D) Orientation

Question 29

Most jobs in the healthcare industry are found in physician offices and clinics.

Question 30

Recruitment and retention of qualified staff is expected to get easier in the near future due to the high unemployment rates.

Question 31

Key tasks of HR Management include __________.

A) Labor Relations
B) Training & Development
C) Government Compliance
D) All of the above

Question 32

Over the last two decades there has been a significant increase in the amount of training provided for nurses due to the increased demand for nursing providers.

Question 33

Why has work place security grown in importance?

A) High cost of lawsuits
B) Increased frequency of theft
C) OSHA requirements
D) Increase in workplace violence

Question 34

JCAHO uses an approach that isolates disciplines to allow for more intense review.

Question 35

One component of staffing is __________.

A) Orientation
B) Job analysis
C) Career planning
D) Incentive programs

Question 36

Studies show that there are significant disparities in how minorities access,receive,and benefit from the nation's healthcare system.

Question 37

Historically,the healthcare marketplace has created a mismatch between supply and demand,which has negatively affected rural areas.

Question 38

Information technology is a skill needed in the healthcare industry.

Question 39

What is the central focus of HR Management?

A) Contribute to organizational success
B) Payroll administration
C) Benefits design and selection
D) Compensation analysis

Question 40

Between 60% - 70% of most healthcare organizations' operating costs is spent on employee pay and benefits.

Question 41

What is the JCAHO and what does it do?
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.
Quality accreditation organization whose members subscribe to a standard-based review process. Compliance is demonstrated through on-site review by JCAHO reviewers.

Question 42

List the 7 major categories of HR Management activities,as identified in the text.
-HR Planning and Analysis
-EEO Compliance
-Staffing
-HR Development
-Compensation and Benefits
-Health,Safety,and Security
-Employee and Labor-Management Relations

Question 43

Describe some of the ways in which HR can contribute to the challenge of managing change in the healthcare industry.
-Cost: Managing the number,skill mix,or wages of employees
-Compliance with quality standards: orienting,training,and continually monitoring employees' performance relative to safety,quality,and care standards
-Managing diversity and providing culturally competent care: HR planning and programming to match provider and patient demographics
-Preparing healthcare workers for new technologies: orientation and training for current employees,ensuring appropriate skill sets of future healthcare workers
-Quality of work life: monitor and initiate solutions such as flexible scheduling programs or on-site day care

Question 44

Orientation is part of HR development.

Question 45

Describe the difference in organizational hierarchies you would find in a large health system compared to a clinic or physician group.

Question 46

Describe at least 3 characteristics of the current healthcare environment in the U.S.
-Growing resource needs - aging population,growing number of uninsured or underinsured persons
-Multifaceted workforce crisis - shortage of qualified workers
-Ensuring patient safety and reducing variability in service,quality,and cost - consumers expecting safe,positive,and cost-effective experience
-Providing culturally competent care - disparities in how minorities access,receive,and benefit from healthcare delivery system
-Technology and information management - advancing technologies becoming the norm
-Regulatory policy - Congress given more authority and latitude to define broad policy decisions