Chapter 01: Leading, Managing, and Following

Chapter 01: Leading, Managing, and Following

Complete Chapter Questions With Answers

Sample Questions Are Posted Below

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. A nurse manager of a 20-bed medical unit finds that 80% of the patients are older adults. She is asked to assess and adapt the unit to better meet the unique needs of the older adult patient. Using complexity principles, what would be the best approach to take in making this change?

ANS:   B

Complexity theory suggests that systems interact and adapt and that decision making occurs throughout the systems, as opposed to being held in a hierarchy. In complexity theory, every voice counts, and therefore all levels of staff would be involved in decision making.

REF:    Page 13

TOP:    AONE competency: Communication and Relationship-Building

2. A unit manager of a 25-bed medical/surgical area receives a phone call from a nurse who has called in sick five times in the past month. He tells the manager that he very much wants to come to work when scheduled but must often care for his wife, who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer. According to Maslow’s need hierarchy theory, what would be the best approach to satisfying the needs of this nurse, other staff, and patients?

ANS:   D

Placing the nurse on unpaid leave may threaten physiologic needs and demotivate the nurse. Unsatisfactory coverage of shifts on short notice could affect patient care and threaten the needs of staff to feel competent. Arranging the schedule around the wife’s needs meets the needs of the staff and of patients while satisfying the nurse’s need for affiliation.

REF:    Page 10

TOP:    AONE competency: Communication and Relationship-Building

3. A grievance brought by a staff nurse against the unit manager requires mediation. At the first mediation session, the staff nurse repeatedly calls the unit manager’s actions unfair, and the unit manager continues to reiterate the reasons for her actions. What would be the best course of action at this time?

ANS:   C

Ury, Brett, and Goldberg outline steps to restoring unity, the first of which is to address the interests and involvement of participants in the conflict by examining the real issues of all parties.

REF:    Page 17

TOP:    AONE competency: Communication and Relationship-Building

4. At a second negotiation session, the unit manager and staff nurse are unable to reach a resolution. It would now be best to:

ANS:   B

According to the principles outlined by Ury, Brett, and Goldberg, a “cooling-off” period is recommended if resolution fails.

REF:    Page 17           TOP:    AONE competency: Leadership

5. The manager of a surgical area has a vision for the future that requires the addition of RN assistants or unlicensed persons to feed, bathe, and walk patients. The RNs on the staff have always practiced in a primary nursing-delivery system and are very resistant to this idea. The best initial strategy in this situation would include:

ANS:   A

Leadership involves engaged decision making around a vision that is based on evidence and tacit knowledge. Influencing others requires emotional intelligence in domains such as empathy and handling relationships.

REF:    Pages 6, 7        TOP:    AONE competency: Knowledge of Healthcare Environment