Chapter 01: Leading, Managing, and Following YoderWise: Leading and Managing in Nursing, 7th Edition

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 for implementation of this change? a. Leverage the hierarchical management position to get unit staff involved in assessment and planning. b. Engage involved staff at all levels in the decision-making process. c. Focus the assessment on the unit and omit the hospital and community environment. d. Hire a geriatric specialist to oversee and control the project. 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. TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship-Building