Question 1

Staff nurses on the medical unit are discussing how they never see their unit manager and that she lacks involvement in unit activities.What leadership style is this manager displaying?

Accepted Answer

A laissez-faire style is also known as permissive or nondirective,with the leader allowing staff to function with little intervention; this describes this manager's approach.Authoritarian leaders are highly involved in directing staff activity,so this does not describe this manager's style.A democratic leadership style is a participative leadership approach and is not descriptive of the manager in the question.A transformational leader inspires and motivates followers creating a supportive climate,which does not describe the manager in the question.

Question 2

The nurse distinguishes the nurse holding which position as a leader rather than a manager?

Accepted Answer

The mentor position is a leadership position,assisting less experienced nurses to meet their goals and objectives because the mentor has charisma,knowledge,experience,and leadership skills.The charge nurse position is one the nurse is hired to fulfill,holding a position of conferred power over other staff,so this position is a lower-level management position.The unit director position is one the nurse is hired to fulfill,holding a position of conferred power over other staff,so this position is a middle-level management position.The supervisor position is one the nurse is hired to fulfill,holding a position of conferred power over other staff,so this position is a middle-level management position.

Question 3

The nurse sits at a large table in the cafeteria with other nurses who are complaining about the hospital's new policy regarding holiday scheduling.What statement by the nurse demonstrates leadership qualities?

Accepted Answer

Acknowledging the problem and asking for ideas shows support for the group's concerns but seeks solutions instead of just bringing down morale by complaining.This demonstrates leadership.Joining with the group and complaining about the rules being "easy for management" does not demonstrate leadership skills.Berating the group for complaining will not resolve the situation and does not demonstrate leadership skills.While the idea behind the statement ("come up with new solutions")is good,the words themselves (i.e.,"Why don't you people stop complaining ...")are hostile and do not show leadership skills.

Question 4

The student nurse sits down to plan goals for the future.Which goal would the nurse identify as a long-term goal?

Accepted Answer

Specializing in care of newborns is a long-term goal because the nurse must first complete nursing school and obtain specialty training to fulfill the goal.Studying every night is a short-term goal because it will occur starting today.Finding a babysitter is a short-term goal that needs to be met soon.Dressing professionally is a short-term goal that will be ongoing throughout the student's career.It is short term because it will begin,one assumes,in the near future.

Question 5

Physical therapy and nursing at a local rehabilitation hospital are in conflict over which department is responsible for transporting patients to and from therapy appointments.The members of the therapy department state they do not have sufficient time to come to the nursing unit to pick up the patients,who often are not ready to be transported.Nursing staff members state that they do not have the time to transport the patients from the unit and this leaves a shortage of nursing personnel on the floor.Managers from both departments have attempted to resolve the conflict with input from the staff members.All attempts at conflict resolution have failed.What is the next step the managers should take?

Accepted Answer

One of a manager's responsibilities is to function as an informal negotiator when a resolution to conflict cannot be reached.

Question 6

A nurse manager who is self-confident,committed,and ambitious is implementing which leadership theory as a guide to her own personal governance style?

Accepted Answer

It is often believed that "Leaders are born,not made." Some of us are considered natural leaders; others are not.Early research on leadership attempted to identify traits that distinguish a leader from a nonleader.Traits most often identified are intelligence and initiative.Other traits identified were excellent interpersonal skills,high self-esteem,creativity,willingness to take risks,and ability to tolerate the consequences of risks.Leadership comes more easily to some individuals.

Question 7

Which of the following are characteristics of an effective nurse manager? Select all that apply.

Accepted Answer

An effective nurse manager possesses a combination of qualities: leadership skills,clinical expertise,and business sense.It is the combination of all these that prepares a person for the complex task of managing a group or team of healthcare providers.The extent of education that a person has does not determine her effectiveness as a manager.

Question 8

What leadership style will be most effective for the nurse to use when managing a Code Blue and resuscitating a patient who is not breathing and has no pulse?

Accepted Answer

A transactional leader would direct everyone to play a part in resuscitating the patient,and would be the most effective leadership style in this scenario.During a code,everyone must know his function.There is no time for a democratic discussion,so a democratic leadership style would not be the most appropriate one.When directing a code,a nurse cannot stand back and be nonparticipative,so a laissez-faire approach would not be effective.There is no time to inspire and motivate followers during a code,so the transformational leadership style would not be the most effective.

Question 9

The student nurse is starting the first clinical shift in a new facility and assesses the nurses working on the unit to identify a possible mentor.Which nurse would be the best choice for a mentor?

Accepted Answer

The nurse who is consulted by other nurses would be the best choice if this nurse is willing to act as a mentor to the student.Although the nurse may be friendly,the student would do better to find someone knowledgeable who can be trusted to guide the student; this may or may not be the friendly nurse.While the new graduate may be empathetic,he is still finding his own way and would not be the best choice.Being outspoken,by itself,is not the best characteristic to look for in a mentor.

Question 10

The manager is conducting an informal negotiation between two staff members who have had ongoing difficulty working together peacefully.Most recently,there was an argument about who would be scheduled first for lunch each day.At this stage of the informal negotiation,the manager is focusing on managing the emotions and setting the ground rules.Which stage does this demonstrate?

Accepted Answer

The manager has begun conducting informal negotiation.This includes managing the emotions,setting ground rules,and clarifying the problem.The first step of conflict resolution is introspective and is similar to data gathering.The negotiator thinks,"What am I trying to achieve? What problems am I likely to encounter?" The next step,setting the stage,may involve confronting the two parties with their behavior toward one another and making direct statements designed to open communication and challenge them to seek resolution of the situation.After conducting the negotiation,the parties move to making offers and counteroffers,and then to agreeing on the resolution of the conflict.

Question 11

Delegation is the process of transferring work to subordinates.A nurse manager can appropriately delegate which task?

Accepted Answer

An important part of leadership is delegation.It is important to delegate appropriately to safely provide client care by determining which personnel have the knowledge and skills to care for the client,and then assign the tasks to the appropriate person.The manager must determine the mix of personnel required to deliver care on a unit before being able to delegate tasks to individuals.

Question 12

Which of the following types of followers may best enhance a leader's performance?

Accepted Answer

Followers are defined as individuals who take on another as a role model and who act in accordance with,imitate,support,and advocate the ideas and opinions of another.Followership is also the willingness to work with others toward accomplishing the group mission.This term refers to those that have a high degree of teamwork and build cohesion among the group.

Question 13

The nurse manager holds a staff meeting to inform everyone about the unit reorganization.Which staff nurse demonstrates passive resistance to the changes? The nurse who:

Accepted Answer

The nurse who listens to the planned changes and makes suggestions to improve the smooth implementation of the changes is demonstrating leadership characteristics.The nurse who threatens to quit is showing active resistance to the change.Making rude statements ("This is stupid ...")is an example of active resistance.The nurse who does not say anything in meetings,but avoids being part of the implementation is demonstrating passive resistance by not contributing to the changes.

Question 14

The nurse is working to manage time effectively and has created a to-do list.What is the first thing the nurse should do?

Accepted Answer

The nurse needs to first prioritize the list,determining what needs to be done first.The nurse cannot question the effectiveness of an item until the task is performed,so this is not the first thing the nurse should do.Self-reliance will be the second step,determining which of the steps can be performed independently.Treating oneself is something that is done after priority steps have been identified and performed.

Question 15

A nurse observes a nursing assistant (NAP)fail to wash her hands before and after placing a patient on a bedpan.When giving negative feedback to the NAP,the nurse should:

Accepted Answer

It is important to provide negative feedback in private.It is not necessary for the nurse manager to be present because staff nurses are responsible for delegating to and supervising NAPs.The nurse should not call a meeting.It would be a waste of time for those who are already washing their hands properly,and it dilutes the effect of the feedback to the NAP who is not washing her hands.She might think,"Oh,everybody does it; no big deal." It is important to allow some time every day for timely feedback.This allows the worker to know what she is doing right and wrong,and allows her to make corrective actions.The nurse should not allow this NAP to continue with her handwashing errors until her annual formal review,because this can pose a threat to patient safety and increase the risk of transmitting infectious microbes.

Question 16

The nurse tells the nurse manager that the nurse practitioner makes her nervous by constantly watching the care she provides.The nurse practitioner tells the nurse manager,"I just don't trust the nurse; her care is lacking." The nurse manager brings the nurse and the nurse practitioner together to discuss the problem.What role is the nurse manager playing?

Accepted Answer

The nurse manager is acting as a mediator,encouraging the two professionals to talk out their differences and reach a solution.The nurse manager is not solving the problem,but bringing the two together to work the problem out.A negotiator would act to talk the two into accepting what the nurse manager wants,but that is not what the manager is doing.The nurse manager is not acting as a counselor,that is,not providing advice on how to overcome the issues.

Question 17

What source of power can an experienced staff nurse effectively use to convince other nurses to follow her?

Accepted Answer

Expert power is an experienced nurse's source of power; it allows the nurse to use her knowledge to convince others to follow.Authority is power granted by the organization to an individual or group; because all staff nurses share the same authority,this would not be an effective power source for a single nurse.Because all staff nurses are assumed to have equal ability to use rewards as source of power,this would not be the most effective source of power.Coercion is the threat of pain or harm,which cannot and should not be the source of power used by any nurse.

Question 18

The nurse manager has evaluated a staff nurse who needs to improve attendance.What strategy can the nurse manager use to correct this staff nurse's attendance?

Accepted Answer

The best strategy would be to discourage unproductive behavior by reminding the nurse of hospital policy and clearly stating what will happen if behavior does not change.The nurse manager would not provide recognition for negative behavior.It would be unrealistic and ineffective for the nurse manager to reinforce behavior every time the nurse shows up to work as scheduled.It is the manager's responsibility to monitor attendance and only the manager has the power provided by the facility to act if behavior does not change; this activity should not be assigned to someone else.

Question 19

The nurse delegates bathing an older adult client diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease to an experienced certified nursing assistant.The assistant accidentally nicks the client while shaving his chin.Who is legally liable for this error?

Accepted Answer

The courts have usually ruled that nurses are not liable for the negligence of other workers,provided that the nurse delegated appropriately.This was an appropriate delegation,so the nursing assistant will hold responsibility.The delegating nurse will not be held legally liable because the nursing assistant is qualified to perform this task.The nursing supervisor had nothing to do with this process and neither the nurse nor the nursing supervisor will be legally liable for this error.

Question 20

The unit nurse manager notices that nurse retention has steadily declined since she assumed the management position.What is the most appropriate action for the nurse manager to take?

Accepted Answer

Because the problem began when the nurse took the management position,to identify the problem it is important to assess the staff's perception of the manager's approach.Monthly pizza parties may be an effective solution,but before solutions can be determined the problem needs to first be identified.It is not within the scope of the unit manager's position to give across-the-board raises.While consulting the supervisor may be necessary if the problem cannot be resolved any other way,this would not be the first step in the process.

Quiz 40: Leading Managing