LEADERSHIP ROLES AND MANAGEMENT
FUNCTIONS IN NURSING
THEORY AND APPLICATION
11TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CAROL J. HUSTON
TEST BANK
1
Reference
Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking,
and Clinical Reasoning
Stem
A charge nurse receives two concurrent safety reports:
medication delay for a high-risk patient and a staffing shortage
on the med/surg unit. Using a managerial decision-making
,mindset, which initial action best demonstrates effective
problem framing before choosing a course of action?
A. Immediately pull a float nurse from the clinic to cover
med/surg.
B. Define the specific objectives, collect brief data about patient
risk and staffing, and set a time limit for a decision.
C. Ask the unit secretary to call all available staff and request
volunteers.
D. Escalate to the nurse manager and request immediate policy
direction.
Correct answer
B
Rationales
Correct (B): Defining objectives and gathering focused data
aligns with Huston’s emphasis on clearly defining objectives and
gathering data carefully before decision making; it enables
choosing the best alternative under time constraints. This
structured initial step supports rational managerial decision
processes.
A: Reactively pulling staff without assessing patient acuity or
other impacts risks poor allocation and overlooks objective
setting.
C: Requesting volunteers may help but bypasses objective-
driven assessment and could produce suboptimal distribution
relative to patient risk.
D: Escalation may be appropriate if unable to decide, but
,immediate escalation before framing the problem delays
frontline resolution and fails to use available unit-level
judgment.
Teaching point
Define objectives and gather key data before acting.
Citation
Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and Management
Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference
Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking,
and Clinical Reasoning
Stem
During morning report, a nurse manager notices recurring falls
on one unit. She wants to identify system causes rather than
blame individuals. Which decision-making tool is most
appropriate to map probable contributing factors before
selecting interventions?
A. Payoff table
B. Decision grid
C. Logic model or root-cause mapping
D. Simple tally chart
, Correct answer
C
Rationales
Correct (C): Logic models and root-cause mapping help visualize
causal pathways and system-level contributors—consistent with
Huston’s recommendation to use logic models to understand
program inputs, activities, and outcomes before selecting
interventions.
A: Payoff tables compare outcomes of alternatives numerically
but do not map causal relationships.
B: Decision grids compare options against criteria; helpful later
but not ideal for initial causal mapping.
D: Tally charts quantify events but do not elucidate underlying
system causes.
Teaching point
Use logic models to reveal system causes before choosing
interventions.
Citation
Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and Management
Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference
Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking,
and Clinical Reasoning
FUNCTIONS IN NURSING
THEORY AND APPLICATION
11TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CAROL J. HUSTON
TEST BANK
1
Reference
Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking,
and Clinical Reasoning
Stem
A charge nurse receives two concurrent safety reports:
medication delay for a high-risk patient and a staffing shortage
on the med/surg unit. Using a managerial decision-making
,mindset, which initial action best demonstrates effective
problem framing before choosing a course of action?
A. Immediately pull a float nurse from the clinic to cover
med/surg.
B. Define the specific objectives, collect brief data about patient
risk and staffing, and set a time limit for a decision.
C. Ask the unit secretary to call all available staff and request
volunteers.
D. Escalate to the nurse manager and request immediate policy
direction.
Correct answer
B
Rationales
Correct (B): Defining objectives and gathering focused data
aligns with Huston’s emphasis on clearly defining objectives and
gathering data carefully before decision making; it enables
choosing the best alternative under time constraints. This
structured initial step supports rational managerial decision
processes.
A: Reactively pulling staff without assessing patient acuity or
other impacts risks poor allocation and overlooks objective
setting.
C: Requesting volunteers may help but bypasses objective-
driven assessment and could produce suboptimal distribution
relative to patient risk.
D: Escalation may be appropriate if unable to decide, but
,immediate escalation before framing the problem delays
frontline resolution and fails to use available unit-level
judgment.
Teaching point
Define objectives and gather key data before acting.
Citation
Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and Management
Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference
Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking,
and Clinical Reasoning
Stem
During morning report, a nurse manager notices recurring falls
on one unit. She wants to identify system causes rather than
blame individuals. Which decision-making tool is most
appropriate to map probable contributing factors before
selecting interventions?
A. Payoff table
B. Decision grid
C. Logic model or root-cause mapping
D. Simple tally chart
, Correct answer
C
Rationales
Correct (C): Logic models and root-cause mapping help visualize
causal pathways and system-level contributors—consistent with
Huston’s recommendation to use logic models to understand
program inputs, activities, and outcomes before selecting
interventions.
A: Payoff tables compare outcomes of alternatives numerically
but do not map causal relationships.
B: Decision grids compare options against criteria; helpful later
but not ideal for initial causal mapping.
D: Tally charts quantify events but do not elucidate underlying
system causes.
Teaching point
Use logic models to reveal system causes before choosing
interventions.
Citation
Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and Management
Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
3
Reference
Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking,
and Clinical Reasoning
