Chapter 14: Staffing and Scheduling

Chapter 14: Staffing and Scheduling

 

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

 

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE

 

1. The number of adverse events such as falls and pressure ulcers on your unit is increasing. An ideal staffing plan to address this issue would include which of the following? Increasing the:

a.	Total number of staff on the unit.
b.	Staff and RN hours per patient.
c.	Total number of staff, and implementing 12-hour shifts.
d.	Number of RNs and number of RNs with experience on the unit.

 

ANS:   D

A number of studies (Dunton et al., 2007; Kane, Shamliyan et al., 2007; Ridley, 2008) have identified that adverse events such as falls and pressure ulcers can be reduced by increasing the number of RNs on a unit (relative to other personnel) and utilizing experienced RNs. Overtime and 12-hour shifts are linked to greater incidence of errors.

 

REF:    Pages 276, 277

TOP:    AONE competency: Knowledge of Healthcare Environment

 

2. A small rural hospital has been designated as a critical access hospital. It has 40 beds and an average occupancy of 34 beds. To prepare the staffing, the chief nursing officer computes the occupancy as being:

a.	90%.
b.	85%.
c.	75%.
d.	60%.

 

ANS:   B

The occupancy level is calculated as 34/40, or 85%.

 

REF:    Pages 287-289             TOP:    AONE competency: Business Skills

 

3. To prepare staffing schedules, a nurse manager needs to calculate paid nonproductive time. When calculating paid nonproductive time, the nurse manager considers:

a.	Work time, educational time, and holiday time.
b.	Paid hours minus worked hours.
c.	Vacation time, holiday time, and sick time.
d.	Paid hours minus meeting time.

ANS:   B

Nonproductive hours are hours of benefit time and include vacation, holiday, and personal or sick time.

 

REF:    Pages 284, 285                        TOP:    AONE competency: Business Skills

 

4. An important aspect of managing the costs on a unit is to plan accurately for staffing needs. Nurse managers use staffing plans to:

a.	Assign staff on the unit on a daily basis.
b.	Ensure that days off are planned for the staff.
c.	Outline the number of individuals by classification on a per-shift basis.
d.	Predict the numbers and classifications of float staff needed to augment regular staff.

 

ANS:   C

A nurse manager needs to manage financial resources by developing staffing plans.

 

REF:    Page 285         TOP:    AONE competency: Business Skills

 

5. A nurse manager must consider a number of external variables when preparing the personnel budget and projecting the unit’s staffing needs. An external variable to be considered is:

a.	Organizational staffing policies.
b.	Staffing models.
c.	Changes in services that will be offered.
d.	Department of Health licensing standards.

 

ANS:   D

Licensing regulations of the state can determine nurse staffing models. Staffing regulations can dictate the number of professional nurses required on a unit at any given time.

 

REF:    Pages 278, 279                        TOP:    AONE competency: Business Skills