Chapter 15

1. The risk manager informs the nurse manager of an orthopedic unit that her unit has had an increase in incident reports related to patients falling during the 11-7 shift. The nurse manager knows that the best way to resolve the problem is to:

2. The nurse manager of a rehab unit wants to purchase a new antiembolic stocking for use with patients. To make a high-quality decision, the nurse manager would:

3. Several nurses on an adolescent psychiatric unit complain that the teens are becoming unmanageable on the 0700-1900 shift. To resolve this problem, the nurse manager decides that the staff should have a brainstorming session. The goal of brainstorming is to:

4. During a fire drill, several psychiatric patients become agitated. The nurse manager quickly assigns a staff member to each patient. This autocratic decision style is most appropriate for:

5. After the nurses who work on an adolescent psychiatric unit have had a brainstorming session, they are ready to resolve the problem of unmanageable teenage patients. To maximize group effectiveness in decision making and problem solving, the nurse manager has:

6. To solve a problem, the nurse manager understands that the most important problem-solving step is:

7. A clinic nurse has observed another nurse deviating from agency policy in performing wound care. The best approach for the clinic nurse to take is to:

8. In a rural hospital, the unit for which you are charge nurse has a particularly busy morning. A 52-year-old patient is complaining of left-sided chest pain and a multiparous patient is about to deliver. A child with asthma is experiencing early signs of an attack. The other RN on the unit is a recent graduate who has not yet been orientated to the labor room and has limited cardiac nursing experience. An unlicensed assistant is available to assist. You must decide which patient situation you will take and where the new graduate RN’s skills can best be used. Given the limitations in skills and experience, number of staff available, and time constraints, you must make a decision that involves:

9. The risk manager wants to evaluate the reasons for an increased number of falls on the rehab
unit. The risk manager devises a fishbone diagram. A fishbone diagram is a useful tool to:

10. An outpatient surgery manager is evaluating new infusion pumps for purchase to use in the operating room. The manager should:

11. Select the statement that best defines the difference between problem solving and decision making:

12. Sue, a nurse manager, has a staff nurse that has been absent a great deal for the past 3 months. A whistleblower gives some information to Sue indicating that the staff nurse will be resigning and returning to school. Because of this, Sue decides to do which of the following?

13. The maintenance department wishes to have the nursing lounge renovated, so the lounge will be more “user-friendly.” The department asks the nursing staff to make a wish list of everything that they would like to see in the new lounge. This process is an example of which part of the decision-making process?

14. A good nursing decision maker is one who

15. From the information supplied in this chapter, which statement best defines critical thinking? Critical thinking is a:

16. Decision making is described by the nursing educator as the process one uses to:

17. Justin is a nurse manager in a rehabilitation unit in a small urban center. There is a high turnover rate among rehab-assistants because of the heavy work assignments. Despite his need for staff, Justin decides to review each application thoroughly and interview candidates carefully because he recognizes that it is important to hire staff who can best provide high-quality care and who will fit well with the team. Which of the following decision-making models did Justin use in making his decision?

18. Justin is a nurse manager in a rehabilitation unit in a small urban center. There is a high turnover rate among rehab-assistants because of the heavy work assignments. Despite his need for staff, Justin decides to review each application thoroughly and interview candidates carefully because he recognizes that it is important to hire staff who can best provide high-quality care and who will fit well with the team. Which of the following decision-making solutions should Justin consider to have a more efficient department?

19. When confronted with the controversy and the apparent poor morale of the evening staff, the unit manager decided the staff needed to take some time off. He scheduled holidays for the staff without consulting them. A couple of the staff nurses approached the manager and indicated that the problem was not scheduling, but rather the team leader and her patient assignments. What was the unit manager’s first missed step in problem solving?

20. John Smith, one of three managers at BSG Labs, drafted a policy that would allow his department to do more testing in his lab. This policy included the times for regular collection as well as a new process for emergency laboratory testing. The policy and procedures were never followed. The reason was that:

21. High-quality decisions are most likely to be made in nursing situations when:

22. Knowing when to have the entire team participate in the decision-making process or when to have only the team leader make the decisions depends on the situation and the desired outcomes. The autocratic process is used in which of the following situations?

23. Jane, an experienced head nurse, is given the task of completing the summer vacation schedule for the pediatric unit. She is fully aware of the hospital’s restrictions on time off and the number of staff on vacation at any given time, as well as its issues regarding seniority. She weighs the options of allowing staff choice, such as it takes more time but gives employees options. However, if choice is allowed, this could cause arguments. Which of the following is the best alternative?

24. The agency in which you are a nursing leader makes a decision to reduce the number of RN positions in favor of PN positions because agency data suggest that the clients in the agency can receive appropriate care from PN staff. Furthermore, the agency is facing a decline in funding and without restructuring, some clients might not receive services at all. You provide this information on this decision to the staff and ask them to advise you if they have any feedback, concerns, or alternative solutions. This decision-making style is known as: