yoder-wise Chapter 12: Power, Politics, and Influence
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Question 1.
A nurse manager is encountering poor staff morale on her unit. While participating in a
baccalaureate course the nurse manager learned that one of the reasons nurses lack power
today is probably because of the past. In the early decades of the profession, nurses lacked
power because: a. Nurses freely chose to defer to physicians and administrators with more
education. b. Women were not socialized to exert power. c. The first nursing licensure laws
prohibited nurses from making most decisions. d. Nurses astutely recognized the risks of
grabbing too much power too soon.
Correct Answer: ANS: B Nurses' lack of involvement in politics is sometimes
associated with their discomfort with acknowledging and using power. Nursing has
been a pre- dominantly female profession, and women traditionally were not
socialized to exert power.
Question 2.
Nurses who engage in infighting seek physician support against nursing colleagues, and
avoid membership in nursing organizations: a. Refuse to believe that they are acting like
members of groups that suffer socioeconomic oppression. b. Do not understand how their
failure to exercise power can limit the power of the whole profession. c. Purposefully choose
to exercise their power in the workplace through indirect means. d. Suffer from learned
helplessness as a result of abuse by powerful nurse executives.
Correct Answer: ANS: B Lack of understanding about the appropriate exercise of
power affects internal and external relationships.
Question 3.
A nurse belongs to several professional organizations, serving on a provincial-level
committee of one group and on two task forces at work. The nurse is committed to a range
of health issues. This nurse exemplifies which level of political activism in nursing? a.
Gladiator. b. Buy-in. c. Self-interest. d. Political sophistication.
Correct Answer: ANS: D The nurse recognizes that influence occurs at many levels
and that public policy and politics shape what nurses do as nurses—from nursing
practice acts that allow licensure, to policies that drive reimbursement.
, Question 4.
A manager relies on his director of nursing (immediate supervisor) for advice about enrolling
in graduate school to prepare for a career as a nurse executive. The director may exercise
what kinds of power in the relationship with the manager in this advisory situation? a. Expert,
coercive, and referent. b. Reward, connection, and information. c. Perceived, expert, and
connection. d. Reward, referent, and connection.
Correct Answer: ANS: C Because the director is in a leadership role, he comes with
knowledge or expertise that is required to assume a leadership role, giving him
perceived and expert power. He has connection power in as much as an expert
registered nurse (RN) he is probably well networked or connected to other
professionals in the unit, facility, and organization.
Question 5.
A nurse manager must implement a 2% budget cut on the nursing unit. Which approach
should the manager use to empower the staff of the unit most effectively? a. Discuss the
guidelines for the budget cuts with the staff, making the decisions with those who participate
in the discussion. b. Inform the staff of the budget cuts in a series of small group meetings,
and accept their ideas in writing only. c. Provide the staff with handouts about the budget
cuts, and let them make recommendations in writing. d. Hold a series of mandatory
meetings on the budget cuts, asking staff for ideas on the cuts.
Correct Answer: ANS: A Empowerment involves valuing the ideas and opinions of
other people and involving them in the decision-making process. It means releasing
authority and allowing other people to assume accountability as well.
Question 6.
During orientation of new nurse managers, the chief nursing officer stresses strategies that
help nurse managers to achieve a powerful image. Which groups of behaviours best
contribute to a powerful image for the nurse manager? a. Greeting patients, families, and
colleagues with a handshake and a smile; listening carefully when problems arise. b. For
men, no facial hair, always wearing a suit and tie; for women, always wearing a suit and
high-heeled shoes. c. Maintaining a soft voice during times of conflict; making unbroken eye
contact during interactions. d. Smiling all the time; always wearing a suit and carrying a
briefcase; for women, wearing no jewellery.
Correct Answer: ANS: A A powerful and positive approach is communicated through
confident behaviours such as greeting other people, smiling, and showing respect for
the opinions of other people through listening.
comprehensive Questions and Answers with 100%
Correct Answers | Latest Version
Question 1.
A nurse manager is encountering poor staff morale on her unit. While participating in a
baccalaureate course the nurse manager learned that one of the reasons nurses lack power
today is probably because of the past. In the early decades of the profession, nurses lacked
power because: a. Nurses freely chose to defer to physicians and administrators with more
education. b. Women were not socialized to exert power. c. The first nursing licensure laws
prohibited nurses from making most decisions. d. Nurses astutely recognized the risks of
grabbing too much power too soon.
Correct Answer: ANS: B Nurses' lack of involvement in politics is sometimes
associated with their discomfort with acknowledging and using power. Nursing has
been a pre- dominantly female profession, and women traditionally were not
socialized to exert power.
Question 2.
Nurses who engage in infighting seek physician support against nursing colleagues, and
avoid membership in nursing organizations: a. Refuse to believe that they are acting like
members of groups that suffer socioeconomic oppression. b. Do not understand how their
failure to exercise power can limit the power of the whole profession. c. Purposefully choose
to exercise their power in the workplace through indirect means. d. Suffer from learned
helplessness as a result of abuse by powerful nurse executives.
Correct Answer: ANS: B Lack of understanding about the appropriate exercise of
power affects internal and external relationships.
Question 3.
A nurse belongs to several professional organizations, serving on a provincial-level
committee of one group and on two task forces at work. The nurse is committed to a range
of health issues. This nurse exemplifies which level of political activism in nursing? a.
Gladiator. b. Buy-in. c. Self-interest. d. Political sophistication.
Correct Answer: ANS: D The nurse recognizes that influence occurs at many levels
and that public policy and politics shape what nurses do as nurses—from nursing
practice acts that allow licensure, to policies that drive reimbursement.
, Question 4.
A manager relies on his director of nursing (immediate supervisor) for advice about enrolling
in graduate school to prepare for a career as a nurse executive. The director may exercise
what kinds of power in the relationship with the manager in this advisory situation? a. Expert,
coercive, and referent. b. Reward, connection, and information. c. Perceived, expert, and
connection. d. Reward, referent, and connection.
Correct Answer: ANS: C Because the director is in a leadership role, he comes with
knowledge or expertise that is required to assume a leadership role, giving him
perceived and expert power. He has connection power in as much as an expert
registered nurse (RN) he is probably well networked or connected to other
professionals in the unit, facility, and organization.
Question 5.
A nurse manager must implement a 2% budget cut on the nursing unit. Which approach
should the manager use to empower the staff of the unit most effectively? a. Discuss the
guidelines for the budget cuts with the staff, making the decisions with those who participate
in the discussion. b. Inform the staff of the budget cuts in a series of small group meetings,
and accept their ideas in writing only. c. Provide the staff with handouts about the budget
cuts, and let them make recommendations in writing. d. Hold a series of mandatory
meetings on the budget cuts, asking staff for ideas on the cuts.
Correct Answer: ANS: A Empowerment involves valuing the ideas and opinions of
other people and involving them in the decision-making process. It means releasing
authority and allowing other people to assume accountability as well.
Question 6.
During orientation of new nurse managers, the chief nursing officer stresses strategies that
help nurse managers to achieve a powerful image. Which groups of behaviours best
contribute to a powerful image for the nurse manager? a. Greeting patients, families, and
colleagues with a handshake and a smile; listening carefully when problems arise. b. For
men, no facial hair, always wearing a suit and tie; for women, always wearing a suit and
high-heeled shoes. c. Maintaining a soft voice during times of conflict; making unbroken eye
contact during interactions. d. Smiling all the time; always wearing a suit and carrying a
briefcase; for women, wearing no jewellery.
Correct Answer: ANS: A A powerful and positive approach is communicated through
confident behaviours such as greeting other people, smiling, and showing respect for
the opinions of other people through listening.
