Question 1

The nurse recruiter recognizes that collegial relationships are an important determinant of success as professionals enter nursing practice. When interviewing candidates for nursing careers, the nurse recruiter focuses on communication qualities that are important in developing a support system. Which attributes best demonstrate desirable communication qualities?

Accepted Answer

Integrity, respect for others, dependability, a good sense of humor, and an openness to sharing with others are communication qualities people look for in developing a support system. An openness to sharing with others, not internalizing, helps promote collegial relationships. Dependability, not dependence, is an interpersonal strategy to use in developing a support system.

Question 2

When modifying barriers to professional communication, the nurse manager focuses on which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Modification of barriers to professional communication includes negotiation and conflict resolution. Building bridges to professional communication with colleagues involves concepts of collaboration, coordination, and networking. While the remaining options are roles of the nurse manager, they are not as impactful and negotiation and conflict resolution when addressing communication barriers.

Question 3

The nurse manager recognizes a need to take steps to promote conflict resolution among health care team members on a nursing unit. What intervention will promote conflict resolution, most effectively?

Accepted Answer

Steps to promote conflict resolution among health care team members include depersonalization of conflict situations. Steps to promote conflict resolution among health care team members also include maintaining a respectful, nonpunitive atmosphere through soliciting the perspectives of each individual, allowing group members to be assertive but not manipulative, and remembering to criticize ideas, not people.

Question 4

The nurse manager is working on strategies to turn conflict into collaboration by creating a climate in which participants view negotiation as a collaborative effort. In What intervention will best accomplish this goal?

Accepted Answer

Strategies to turn conflict into collaboration include creating a climate in which participants view negotiation as a collaborative effort through clarification of all role expectations; soliciting and giving feedback on a regular, periodic basis; participation in organizational interdisciplinary groups; and modeling of communications with staff in a respectful, courteous manner.

Question 5

The nurse is scheduled for a yearly evaluation by the nursing supervisor. When planning for this meeting, the nurse should recognize the importance of what action as being the priority?

Accepted Answer

When a supervisor gives constructive criticism, some type of response from the person receiving it is indicated. To help handle constructive criticism, the nurse should listen carefully to the criticism and then paraphrase it. The nurse should also schedule a time when she is calm, develop a plan for dealing with similar situations, and become proactive rather than reactive. The nurse should also discuss the facts of the situation but avoid becoming defensive. Listening and paraphrasing is of primary importance during an evaluation meeting.

Question 6

When conflict arises among staff, what should the nurse focus attention on initially?

Accepted Answer

Generally, conflict increases anxiety. When interaction with a certain peer or peer group stimulates anxious or angry feelings, the presence of conflict should be considered. Once it is determined that conflict is present, look for the basis of the conflict and label it as personal or professional. If it is personal in nature, it may not be appropriate to seek peer negotiation. It might be better to go back through the self-awareness exercises presented in previous chapters and locate the nature of the conflict through self-examination. Sharing feelings about a conflict with others helps to reduce its intensity.

Question 7

When supervising an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), the nurse offers unwarranted criticism that causes the UAP to feel defensive. The initial response by the UAP should be to what?

Accepted Answer

Recognizing a putdown or unwarranted criticism is the first step toward dealing effectively with it. If a comment from a coworker or authority figure generates defensiveness or embarrassment, it is likely that the comment represents more than just factual information about performance. When faced with unwarranted criticism, the automatic response of many individuals is to become defensive and embarrassed and in some way actually begin to feel inadequate, thus allowing the speaker to project unwarranted feelings onto the nurse. The putdown or criticism may be handed out because the speaker is feeling inadequate or threatened. Often it has little to do with the actual behavior of the nurse to whom it is delivered but that is no reason to ignore the comments.

Question 8

When working with staff members to promote conflict resolution, the nurse manager recognizes that additional teaching is warranted when a staff member states,

Accepted Answer

Steps to promote conflict resolution among health care team members include maintaining a respectful, nonpunitive atmosphere through team members demonstrating assertiveness, not manipulation; soliciting the perspectives of others; and remembering to criticize ideas, not people. Steps to promote conflict resolution among health care team members also include discussion in which emotion is avoided.

Question 9

A student nurse is learning about strategies to remove barriers to communication with other professionals and how to deal with disrespectful or disruptive behaviors. The nursing instructor recognizes that additional instruction is needed when the student nurse states which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Communication can become distorted, rather than open, when a person is concerned about offending a more powerful individual. Strategies for dealing with disrespectful or disruptive behaviors include: establishing common communication expectations and skills, teaching conflict resolution skills, and creating a culture of mutual respect within the health care system.

Question 10

The charge nurse is working with a group of staff nurses on a hospital unit. When delegating to the staff nurses, the charge nurse determines that there is conflict among the group. The charge nurse should implement what intervention to turn the conflict into unit collaboration?

Accepted Answer

Strategies to turn conflict into collaboration include using a brief summary to provide feedback, recognizing and confronting disruptive behaviors by taking the initiative to discuss problems, using active listening skills (refraining from simultaneous activities that interrupt communication), and presenting documented data relevant to the issue.

Question 11

Which statement is true about the relationship between physicians and nurses?

Accepted Answer

Because health care authority traditionally was vested in a hierarchical structure, control rested with the physician. Changes in the physician-nurse communication process are occurring as nurses become more empowered, more assertive, and better educated. Most nurses occasionally encounter problems in the physician-nurse relationship. Differences in power, perspective, education, status, and pay may be barriers to workgroup communication and care. Nurses have a responsibility to foster good physician-patient communication. When applying principles of conflict resolution, a commitment to open dialogue is recommended when dealing with all professional matters. Most nurses occasionally encounter problems in the physician-nurse relationship.

Question 12

The charge nurse, working on a unit where a nurse is frequently late for work, addresses the behavior by telling the nurse, "It is necessary for you to be here on time from now on to help assure good patient care." This is an example of what type of constructive criticism?

Accepted Answer

Constructive criticism includes stating expectations. An example of this is the statement: "It is necessary for you to be here on time from now on." Constructive criticism includes expressing sympathy. An example of this is the statement: "I understand that things are difficult at home." Constructive criticism includes describing the behavior. An example of this is the statement: "But I see that you have been late coming to work three times during this pay period." Constructive criticism includes listing consequences. An example of this is the statement: "If you get here on time, we'll all start off the shift better. If you are late again, I will have to report you to the personnel department."

Quiz 23: Interprofessional Communication