BSN Nursing Leadership Examination
Practice Questions & [Verified Answers],
Plus Explained Rationales|2026 Latest
Update| Instant Download PDF
Question 1
A nurse manager is implementing a change in the unit's medication-
administration process. Which action best demonstrates
transformational leadership?
A. Instructing nurses to follow the new process without discussion
B. Asking staff to identify barriers and participate in developing
solutions
C. Assigning the responsibility entirely to the charge nurse
D. Delaying implementation until every nurse agrees with the change
Answer: B. Asking staff to identify barriers and participate in
developing solutions
Rationale: Transformational leaders engage staff in a shared vision,
encourage participation, promote innovation, and empower nurses to
contribute to organizational change.
Question 2
A charge nurse observes two staff nurses arguing about assignment
responsibilities. What is the best initial action?
1|Page
,A. Reassign both nurses to different units
B. Document the conflict in both nurses' personnel files
C. Facilitate a private discussion to identify the underlying issues
D. Ask another nurse to decide who is correct
Answer: C. Facilitate a private discussion to identify the underlying
issues
Rationale: Effective conflict management begins by identifying the
source of the disagreement and encouraging respectful
communication. Avoiding or immediately punishing the nurses does
not address the underlying problem.
Question 3
Which leadership style is characterized by rewarding staff for meeting
established performance expectations?
A. Transformational
B. Transactional
C. Laissez-faire
D. Servant leadership
Answer: B. Transactional
Rationale: Transactional leadership focuses on exchanges between
leaders and followers, including rewards for desired performance and
corrective actions when expectations are not met.
Question 4
A nurse manager wants to improve staff engagement. Which
intervention is most appropriate?
2|Page
,A. Increase surveillance of staff performance
B. Make all decisions independently
C. Involve nurses in decisions affecting their practice
D. Eliminate staff meetings
Answer: C. Involve nurses in decisions affecting their practice
Rationale: Shared decision-making increases professional autonomy,
accountability, engagement, and ownership of organizational
outcomes.
Question 5
A newly licensed RN is assigned to care for a patient requiring a
complex central-line procedure. The RN has never performed the
procedure independently. What should the charge nurse do?
A. Tell the RN to learn by observing another patient procedure
B. Assign the procedure to a competent nurse and arrange supervised
training
C. Require the RN to perform the procedure because it is within the RN
scope
D. Ask the patient to postpone the procedure
Answer: B. Assign the procedure to a competent nurse and arrange
supervised training
Rationale: Leaders must match assignments with staff competency.
Delegating a task to an inexperienced nurse without appropriate
supervision creates patient-safety risks.
Question 6
3|Page
, Which situation best demonstrates effective delegation by an RN?
A. Delegating assessment of a newly admitted unstable patient to
assistive personnel
B. Delegating routine vital signs for a stable patient to trained assistive
personnel
C. Delegating medication administration to an unlicensed staff member
D. Delegating evaluation of nursing interventions to a nursing assistant
Answer: B. Delegating routine vital signs for a stable patient to trained
assistive personnel
Rationale: Appropriate delegation considers the right task,
circumstance, person, direction, and supervision. Routine vital signs
on a stable patient may be delegated when allowed by policy and
scope of practice.
Question 7
A nurse delegates ambulation of a stable postoperative patient to
assistive personnel. Which action remains the responsibility of the RN?
A. Determining whether the patient is stable enough to ambulate
B. Walking beside the patient throughout the entire activity
C. Providing the patient's meal
D. Making the patient's bed
Answer: A. Determining whether the patient is stable enough to
ambulate
Rationale: The RN retains accountability for nursing judgment,
assessment, and evaluation. Assistive personnel may perform
delegated activities but cannot replace the RN's clinical judgment.
4|Page
Practice Questions & [Verified Answers],
Plus Explained Rationales|2026 Latest
Update| Instant Download PDF
Question 1
A nurse manager is implementing a change in the unit's medication-
administration process. Which action best demonstrates
transformational leadership?
A. Instructing nurses to follow the new process without discussion
B. Asking staff to identify barriers and participate in developing
solutions
C. Assigning the responsibility entirely to the charge nurse
D. Delaying implementation until every nurse agrees with the change
Answer: B. Asking staff to identify barriers and participate in
developing solutions
Rationale: Transformational leaders engage staff in a shared vision,
encourage participation, promote innovation, and empower nurses to
contribute to organizational change.
Question 2
A charge nurse observes two staff nurses arguing about assignment
responsibilities. What is the best initial action?
1|Page
,A. Reassign both nurses to different units
B. Document the conflict in both nurses' personnel files
C. Facilitate a private discussion to identify the underlying issues
D. Ask another nurse to decide who is correct
Answer: C. Facilitate a private discussion to identify the underlying
issues
Rationale: Effective conflict management begins by identifying the
source of the disagreement and encouraging respectful
communication. Avoiding or immediately punishing the nurses does
not address the underlying problem.
Question 3
Which leadership style is characterized by rewarding staff for meeting
established performance expectations?
A. Transformational
B. Transactional
C. Laissez-faire
D. Servant leadership
Answer: B. Transactional
Rationale: Transactional leadership focuses on exchanges between
leaders and followers, including rewards for desired performance and
corrective actions when expectations are not met.
Question 4
A nurse manager wants to improve staff engagement. Which
intervention is most appropriate?
2|Page
,A. Increase surveillance of staff performance
B. Make all decisions independently
C. Involve nurses in decisions affecting their practice
D. Eliminate staff meetings
Answer: C. Involve nurses in decisions affecting their practice
Rationale: Shared decision-making increases professional autonomy,
accountability, engagement, and ownership of organizational
outcomes.
Question 5
A newly licensed RN is assigned to care for a patient requiring a
complex central-line procedure. The RN has never performed the
procedure independently. What should the charge nurse do?
A. Tell the RN to learn by observing another patient procedure
B. Assign the procedure to a competent nurse and arrange supervised
training
C. Require the RN to perform the procedure because it is within the RN
scope
D. Ask the patient to postpone the procedure
Answer: B. Assign the procedure to a competent nurse and arrange
supervised training
Rationale: Leaders must match assignments with staff competency.
Delegating a task to an inexperienced nurse without appropriate
supervision creates patient-safety risks.
Question 6
3|Page
, Which situation best demonstrates effective delegation by an RN?
A. Delegating assessment of a newly admitted unstable patient to
assistive personnel
B. Delegating routine vital signs for a stable patient to trained assistive
personnel
C. Delegating medication administration to an unlicensed staff member
D. Delegating evaluation of nursing interventions to a nursing assistant
Answer: B. Delegating routine vital signs for a stable patient to trained
assistive personnel
Rationale: Appropriate delegation considers the right task,
circumstance, person, direction, and supervision. Routine vital signs
on a stable patient may be delegated when allowed by policy and
scope of practice.
Question 7
A nurse delegates ambulation of a stable postoperative patient to
assistive personnel. Which action remains the responsibility of the RN?
A. Determining whether the patient is stable enough to ambulate
B. Walking beside the patient throughout the entire activity
C. Providing the patient's meal
D. Making the patient's bed
Answer: A. Determining whether the patient is stable enough to
ambulate
Rationale: The RN retains accountability for nursing judgment,
assessment, and evaluation. Assistive personnel may perform
delegated activities but cannot replace the RN's clinical judgment.
4|Page
