Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership, Exams of Nursing

Download Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership and more Exams Nursing in PDF only on Docsity! Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide What is the most consistent concern of the nurse as a manager? a. To develop long-range career goals b. To coordinate patient care while meeting the agency goals c. To maintain harmony within the agency d. To organize the subordinates to meet agency goals - correct answer ✅✅b. To coordinate patient care while meeting the agency goals The role of the nurse as manager has evolved into a complex one that includes organizing patient care, directing personnel to achieve agency goals, and allocating resources. The most consistent concern of the nurse as a manager is not to develop long-range career goals, maintain harmony within the agency, or organize subordinates to meet agency goals. Although having long-range career goals is a good idea for the nurse manager, it is not a day-to-day concern. Organizing subordinates is not a role of the nurse manager, but instead, it is directing or supervising them to achieve patient-care needs. What action would be an appropriate first step for the nurse to take toward becoming an effective manager? a. Learn how to effect and direct the change process. b. Assess individuals' sources of power. c. Develop communication and interpersonal skills. Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide d. Implement effective nursing care plans. - correct answer ✅✅c. Develop communication and interpersonal skills. Effective managers have a balanced mix of management skills and leadership qualities. There are generally four functions the manager performs: planning (what is to be done), organizing (how it is to be done), directing (who is to do it), and controlling (when and how it is done). To be effective in performing these functions, a manager must develop communication and interpersonal skills. What do the responsibilities of the nurse manager include? abirb.com/test a. Planning and organizing how nursing care can most effectively be delivered b. Establishing the nursing care standards to be implemented on the unit. c. Developing educational programs to assist staff to meet licensure requirements d. Assisting staff to adhere to organizational policies and procedures - correct answer ✅✅a. Planning and organizing how nursing care can most effectively be delivered Managers must be attentive to both dimensions of their job: the mission and goals of the organization and planning with the staff to meet the nursing care goals of the unit within the overall goals of the institution. Both levels must be addressed —the organization as well as the needs of the individuals. Other options are not as comprehensive and could be included within the first option. Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide ability to differentiate between facts and opinions and to attempt to break down the information to its simplest terms. A nurse is using the decision-making process. Which action should be taken first? a. Evaluate the outcome. b. Identify and evaluate options. c. Set the objective. d. Implement the options. - correct answer ✅✅c. Set the objective. Decision making requires the definition of a clear objective to guide the process. The nurse must set the objective before proceeding to the other steps in the decision-making process. The second step is to identify and evaluate alternate decisions. The third step is to make the decision and implement, and the last step is to evaluate the outcome. Which statement by the nurse shows understanding of the primary advantage in using the group process in decision making? "The process a. increases the time spent discussing alternatives." b. eliminates opposition to decisions by administrators." c. allows additional time for the planning process." d. promotes acceptance of the decision by the group." - correct answer ✅✅d. promotes acceptance of the decision by the group." Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide When the group has input in the decision-making process, there is more acceptance of the group's decision. Groups can be beneficial to the decision- making process. Groups generally offer the benefits of a broader knowledge base for defining objectives and more creativity in identifying alternatives. The effectiveness of the group decision-making process is dependent on the dynamics of the group. When a group is involved in the decision-making process, there may be additional time spent discussing alternatives, and more time may be allowed for planning; however, this is not a specific advantage. It may not necessarily eliminate opposition to the decision by the administration, but when the group makes a decision, it may be easier to deal with administrative opposition. A nurse is interested in moving into a management position. Which action would assist with accomplishing this? a. Use of reward power b. Use of coercive power c. Use of expert power d. Use of legitimate power - correct answer ✅✅c. Use of expert power An expert refers to someone who is knowledgeable, experienced, and respected in his or her area of nursing. This type of expert power would assist the nurse to advance to higher positions in nursing. Reward power is closely linked with legitimate power in that it comes about because the individual has the power to provide or withhold rewards. Legitimate power is power connected to a position of authority. Coercive power is power derived from the fear of consequences. Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide A nurse is respected by peers for clinical skills and effective interpersonal relationships. The nurse has studied diabetic patient educational needs and consults with several units. What type of power does this nurse possess? a. Informational b. Legitimate c. Reward d. Expert - correct answer ✅✅d. Expert Expert power is based on specialized knowledge, skills, or abilities that are recognized and respected by others. Those who have information that others need to perform their duties have informational power. Legitimate power is based on the person's position within an organization. Reward power occurs when an individual has the power to give or withhold rewards. The nurse manager on a surgical unit receives notification that multiple victims of a plane crash will arrive at the hospital momentarily. What is the most appropriate leadership style to adopt in this situation? a. Autocratic b. Democratic c. Laissez-faire d. Eclectic - correct answer ✅✅a. Autocratic Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide The nurse manager is giving a presentation on the disadvantages of democratic leadership in group functioning. Which statement shows an understanding of this type of leadership? a. "Requires more time and effort to make decisions and accomplish goals" b. "Discourages participation from quieter members of the group" c. "Increases the possibility of 'scapegoating' or argumentative behavior" d. "Is difficult to control the outcomes and decisions of the group" - correct answer ✅✅a. "Requires more time and effort to make decisions and accomplish goals" Because of the encouragement of participation in decision making and the democratic leadership's emphasis on group function, decision making becomes more involved with consensus and is less timely. Democratic leadership encourages group participation and works to reduce any type of scapegoating behavior among members because everyone has equal voice. The group democratically makes decisions and determines outcomes that are not controlled by management A nurse is unhappy about the way medications are being administered on the unit. What does the nurse need to do first to facilitate a change in the process? a. Initiate a new method starting with assigned patients b. Discuss concerns with fellow nurses to determine interest in changing. c. Develop a better method to administer the medications. d. Inform the charge nurse of how it can be done better. - correct answer ✅✅b. Discuss concerns with fellow nurses to determine interest in changing. Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide For the nurse to be successful the initial step is to consider all the factors that might cause resistance to change and to involve those who might be willing to help champion a change. Once this has been done, the team can design strategies to improve the process. The nurse cannot just start using a new process for individual patients. Developing a better method is needed, but only after some work has been done to identify support. Without a plan to create the change, informing the charge nurse of how this can be done better is likely to fail. A nurse wants to implement a change in the work environment. Which of the following actions would be the most important thing to do? a. Ask for suggestions from peers working in other institutions. b. Explain to coworkers how a different plan would work better. c. Seek input from coworkers from the beginning. d. Incorporate all suggestions into the plan before implementing. - correct answer ✅✅c. Seek input from coworkers from the beginning. Seeing the input from coworkers from the beginning is an important component of initiating change in the work environment. In the unfreezing phase, all of the factors that may cause resistance to change are considered. Others who may be affected by the change are sought out to determine whether they recognize that a change is needed and to determine their interest in participating in the process. It will be important to determine whether the environment of the institution is receptive to change and then convince others to work with the group initiating the change. Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide If many complaints arise about a newly developed procedure, what is the best way to handle them? a. Discontinue the change because it is not working. b. Persuade a few friends to talk positively about it. c. Consider the complaints as indications that change is being resisted. d. Analyze the complaints and alter the plan as needed - correct answer ✅✅d. Analyze the complaints and alter the plan as needed In handling complaints about a new procedure, consideration should be given to bringing in a person with expert power or back to the group with the complainers' input and returning to the moving phase for analysis and adjustment of the procedure if needed. Because a complaint occurs does not mean that the change is being resisted. Refreezing cannot occur if the change is abandoned. Until the complaint is investigated, the change should continue; it should not be discontinued until the issue is fully determined and resolved about the newly developed procedure. What types of changes in management can be anticipated with the introduction of generations X and Y to the nursing workforce? a. More flexible work time and increased personal responsibility for work outcomes b. Increased loyalty to the institution and the need for a well-defined work environment Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide c. A nurse who writes yearly staff evaluations d. A nurse who always gives medication on time - correct answer ✅✅a. A nurse who encourages staff to give excellent patient care A nurse leader is someone who influences others, such as a nurse who encourages staff to give excellent patient care. A nurse who performs and writes staff evaluations is functioning as a nurse manager. Giving medications is a function of the staff or bedside nurse. A nurse manager has received a report that indicates the infection rate on the unit has gone up by 25% in the past month. What action by the manager is best? a. Post the report for staff to read. b. Pull a couple of the nurses aside and discuss the issue with them. c. Require staff to attend an infection prevention conference. d. Provide a mandatory hand hygiene in-service to all staff. - correct answer ✅✅d. Provide a mandatory hand hygiene in-service to all staff. The nurse manager has a duty to implement and mandate interventions to reduce infection rates for the unit. Providing a mandatory hand hygiene in-service to all staff is the best way to do this and to ensure that every staff member is competent. The other options may be used in the process for the nurse manager to set up or reinforce the hand hygiene in-service program. Which of the following actions by the nurse manager would indicate an autocratic management style? Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide a. Allows staff members to make most of the decisions b. Makes most of the decisions without input from the staff members c. Exerts little control over staff d. Emphasizes effective group functioning - correct answer ✅✅b. Makes most of the decisions without input from the staff members The autocratic manager uses an authoritarian approach to direct the activities of others. This manager would make most of the decisions without input from the staff members. Allowing staff members to make most of the decisions and exerting little control over staff is a laissez-faire management style. Emphasizing effective group functioning is common for a democratic management style. The nurse manager identifies which of the following as the most critical step in problem solving? a. Brainstorm all the possible solutions b. Identify the problem c. Evaluate possible solutions. d. Choose a solution. - correct answer ✅✅b. Identify the problem The most critical step in the problem-solving process is to identify the problem. Brainstorming solutions, evaluating possible solutions, and choosing a solution occur after the problem have been identified. Zerwekh: Chapter 10: Challenges of Nursing Management and Leadership Questions and Answers A+ Guide Which action by the nurse indicates placement in the unfreezing phase of Lewin's ChangeTheory? a. The nurse reconsiders if he or she is resistant to change. b. The nurse begins the process of implementing change. c. The change has become routine. d. The change is permanent. - correct answer ✅✅a. The nurse reconsiders if he or she is resistant to change. Lewin's Change Theory consists of three phases: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. In the unfreezing phase, the nurse reconsiders what has caused him or her to be resistant to change. In the moving phase, the nurse begins the process of implementing change. In the refreezing phase, the change has become a permanent, routine part of the nurse's life The nurse manager oversees a busy unit that has experienced several major changes recently. The manager notes the staff comply with the changes but seem depressed and lack energy. What action by the manager is the best? a. Remind them that the changes were for the best b. Explain why the changes were needed. c. Allow nurses to move at their own paces. d. Give weekly pep talks and bring treats - correct answer ✅✅c. Allow nurses to move at their own paces.